Cell-Phone Industry Seeks To Silence Right-to-Know Demands

After San Francisco passed a "right-to-know" ordinance guaranteeing consumers information about how much electromagnetic radiation their cell phones were exposing them to, the cell phone industry is pressing the "End" button.

The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) has filed suit against San Francisco in response to the ordinance. CTIA also says it will not hold any more of its annual trade shows in the city; however, it has not cancelled the one for this fall, which has registered an estimated 200 exhibitors and 15,000 attendees.

The Environmental Working Group has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Federal Communications Commission on the matter. EWG seeks to determine whether the FCC is colluding with the cell phone industry in resisting right-to-know demands.

• "Concerns Over Industry Influence Mount in Cell Phone Right-to-Know Fight," The Watcher, OMB Watch, September 28, 2010.
• "CTIA Prepares Stage for Enterprise & Apps Show," Wireless Week, October 4, 2010, by Andrew Berg.
• "Environmental Organization Files FOIA Request with FCC," San Francisco Examiner, September 16, 2010, by Erin Sherbert.
• "San Francisco Cellphone Radiation Law Unconstitutional, Claims CTIA," Wired, July 26, 2010, by Priya Ganapati.
• "San Francisco Passes Cellphone Radiation Law," New York Times, June 15, 2010, by Jesse McKinley.