RFK Jr.’s Next Target? HHS Launches New Study On Cellphone Radiation

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a new study into the potential health effects of cellphone radiation, a move that reflects long-standing concerns raised by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his allies but may run counter to the conclusions of many major scientific and regulatory bodies.

According to HHS, the study will examine electromagnetic radiation and human health to identify gaps in current scientific knowledge, including risks associated with newer technologies. HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said the effort is being undertaken while older federal webpages asserting that cellphones are not dangerous have been removed, describing those conclusions as outdated. The study was directed by President Donald Trump’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission and follows earlier MAHA-aligned efforts, including policies cited by HHS claiming that 22 states restricted cellphone use in schools to improve children’s health.

The Food and Drug Administration, which operates under HHS, quietly removed webpages that had previously stated that the weight of scientific evidence did not link cellphone radio-frequency exposure to health problems. While summaries of those pages still exist, the original links now redirect to general information about the FDA’s regulatory role. Other federal agencies, however, have not changed their positions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the Federal Communications Commission continue to say that existing evidence does not demonstrate a causal link between cellphone use and cancer, though some note that further research is warranted.

Kennedy, an environmental lawyer by training, has for years argued that wireless radiation poses serious health risks. He has represented plaintiffsA who blamed brain tumors on cellphone use, chaired Children’s Health Defense, and helped force a federal court review of FCC radiation standards in 2020. He has publicly warned that children are exposed to what he calls a “toxic soup” of wireless radiation.

Many mainstream scientists disagree, as large epidemiological studies have found no link between cellphone use and cancer, and experts note that cellphones emit non-ionizing radiation, which does not damage DNA in the way cancer-causing radiation does. The World Health Organization similarly says there is no conclusive evidence of harm, though it encourages continued long-term research.