WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission said today it charged two firms with making false claims about devices purporting to protect consumers against mobile phone radiation.
The FTC said it filed suit to shut down Stock Value 1 Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla., and Comstar Communications Inc., of Sacramento, Calif. Stock Value 1 sells the “SafeTShield and “NoDanger,” while Comstar markets “WaveShield,” “WaveShield 1000” and “WaveShield 2000.” The FTC said the two firms claimed their gadgets reduce up to 99 percent of radiation from cell phones.
“These companies are using a shield of misrepresentation to block consumers from the facts,” said J. Howard Beales III, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Beales said attempts to reach settlements with the two firms were unsuccessful. He said more FTC investigations of other radiation shield makers are in progress and that the agency knows of no company whose product curbs mobile phone radiation. Mobile phone firms themselves have patents to reduce radiation.
A woman who identified herself as a receptionist for Stock Value 1 said the owners of the company are out of town. Calls seeking comment from Comstar were left on the company’s answering machine.
Beales said the two cases were referred to the FTC by the Good Housekeeping Institute, whose laboratory tested the radiation shields.
The FTC said it was not prejudging whether mobile phones cause brain cancer or other diseases, noting that federal agencies do not see a health threat and that more research is needed to address some studies that have found DNA breaks, genetic damage and increased tumors in lab rodents from phone radiation. Several lawsuits allege cell phones cause brain cancer.
For cell phone users who want to limit radiation exposure, the FTC recommended keeping calls short; increasing the distance between the antenna and the head by using a hands-free device or using phones with antennas mounted outside the car; and avoiding using cell phones where the signal is poor.
