RFK Jr. Launches Inquiry Into Potential Health Risks of Cell Phones, WiFi and 5G
The Trump administration is looking into the potential risks of phone and WiFi frequencies to human health. Here is a look at the new inquiry and what it hopes to uncover.
HHS Secretary Launches Inquiry Into Health Impacts of Wireless Technology Use
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced this week that he is launching an inquiry into the potential health impacts of wireless technology. This includes cell phone usage, WiFi, and 5G. Kennedy announced on social media that the Trump administration has triggered a formal Request for Information (RFI) seeking information about radio frequency and electromagnetic field emissions and how they could affect human health.
The RFI comes despite the wide body of research that demonstrates that these types of technology are safe. Most recently, a review spearheaded by the World Health Organization (WHO) found “no adverse health effect has been causally linked with exposure to wireless technologies.” This follows on the heels of a study from the National Cancer Institute that noted that “evidence to date suggests that cell phone use does not cause brain or other kinds of cancer in humans.”
A long-range international study known as COSMOS (Cohort Study of Mobile Phone Use and Health) detailed that researchers found “no evidence of increased risk of brain tumours associated with mobile phone use — even beyond 15 years.” Coordinated by Imperial College London, the study also confirmed that there was no link between the amount of time spent on cell phone calls and headaches.
In Monday's social media announcement, Kennedy said that the initiative was part of the broader “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement. Earlier in the year, it was reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had removed several web pages that assured cell phone use was not dangerous.
Defending the RFI, Kennedy stated on Monday that “The MAHA Strategy gave us a clear mission: investigate the relationship between electromagnetic radiation and health, identify gaps in our knowledge, and make sure federal policy keeps pace with rapidly changing technology.” A video accompanying the post showed Kennedy describing how wireless technology is now integrated into every part of American life, also mentioning the emergence of 6G.
The White House RFI asks scientists and members of the public to provide information about existing evidence that points to the connection between radio frequency and electromagnetic field exposure and whether this exposure can be measured effectively out in the real world. Kennedy also detailed that his team wants to look at how cumulative exposure over time may translate to potential impacts. The HHS leader said that he wants to look at the potential effects between different populations, including pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable people.
Kennedy urged Americans to participate in the inquiry, submitting information about people who may have experienced an adverse health complication that could have been connected with electromagnetic field exposure or radio frequency. The secretary also asked research and medical care providers to share any patterns that they have noted. The initiative will also look into various government reports, peer-reviewed studies, exposure data, and other types of evidence.
Cell Phone Study Is the Latest Controversy on the MAHA Agenda
MAHA and its tenets have been at the center of controversy since Kennedy first coined the term. Kennedy has also promoted a link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, a claim that major medical organizations say is not supported by the evidence. President Donald Trump echoed this belief in September of 2025 when he told reporters that “taking Tylenol is not good," detailing that the FDA would no longer recommend its use during pregnancy.
This flies in the face of medical research that has shown no evidence of an increased chance of autism when using Tylenol. Kenvue, Tylenol's parent company, has continued to defend the use of the pain reliever in pregnancy. In a statement to PEOPLE magazine, the company said, "We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers.”
The company went on to say that “Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy. Without it, women face dangerous choices: suffer through conditions like fever that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives."
Kennedy spoke publicly last week about his opinion of the nation's vaccine policy. When speaking at a September 17 conference hosted by the Children's Health Defense, he told a group of vaccine-skeptical activists that “You have a strong and steadfast friend in the White House." He also noted that the president had instructed him to “vigorously investigate the potential contribution of childhood vaccines to the chronic disease epidemic," according to a report from the Associated Press.
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