FTC Accuses Cell-Phone Shield Marketers
The Federal Trade Commission has charged two companies with inflating the benefits of cell-phone shields in fighting electromagnetic emissions.
The FTC alleges that Stock Value 1, Boca Raton, FL, falsely claimed that its products, SafeTShield and NoDanger, block electromagnetic energy from cellular and cordless telephones.
The firm, which sells via direct response TV and the Internet, said in ads that NoDanger protects “the soft tissues of the ear ducts by filtering out 99% of the Electromagnetic waves emitted from the ear piece of mobile phones up to a frequency of 2,000 MHz,” according to the FTC.
The ads failed to state that most electromagnetic energy emitted by cell phones comes from the antenna and other parts, and not from the earpiece, the FTC continued.
Comstar Communications, Sacramento, CA, also promised in TV spots, print ads, and the Internet that its products would stop radiation, the FTC alleged.
“The WaveShield 1000 blocks up to 99% of the harmful electromagnetic radiation that enters through the antenna into the unprotected ear canal, without affecting the quality of the transmission,” said one ad, according to the FTC.
There is no scientific proof that shields reduce exposure to electromagnetic emissions, the FTC continued. In addition, scientific data fails to show adverse health effects from mobile phone emissions, according to a General Accounting Office report cited by the FTC.
“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, in a statement. “There is no scientific evidence that their products work as they claim.”
The complaint against Stock Value 1 was filed on Feb. 13 with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Fort Lauderdale. The claim against Comstar was filed the same day with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.
