Owner’s Manual

For Your Safety

104

FDA Consumer Update

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices

and Radiological Health Consumer Update on Mobile Tablets:

1. Do tablets pose a health hazard?

The available scientific evidence does not show that any health problems

are associated with using tablets.

There is no proof, however, that tablets are absolutely safe. Tablets emit

low levels of Radio Frequency (RF) energy in the microwave range while

being used. They also emit very low levels of RF when in idle mode.

Whereas high levels of RF can produce health effects (by heating tissue),

exposure to low level RF that does not produce heating effects causes

no known adverse health effects. Many studies of low level RF exposures

have not found any biological effects. Some studies have suggested

that some biological effects may occur, but such findings have not been

confirmed by additional research. In some cases, other researchers have

had difficulty in reproducing those studies, or in determining the reasons

for inconsistent results.

2. What is the FDA’s role concerning the safety of tablets?

Under the law, the FDA does not review the safety of radiation-emitting

consumer products such as tablets before they can be sold, as it does

with new drugs or medical devices. However, the agency has authority to

take action if tablets are shown to emit Radio Frequency (RF) energy at

a level that is hazardous to the user. In such a case, the FDA could require

the manufacturers of tablets to notify users of the health hazard and to

repair, replace, or recall the tablets so that the hazard no longer exists.

Although the existing scientific data does not justify FDA regulatory

actions, the FDA has urged the tablet industry to take a number of steps,

including the following:

Support needed research into possible biological effects of RF of the

type emitted by tablets;

Design tablets in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the user

that is not necessary for device function; and