People sometimes ask why the rules that limit how much radio energy a phone can put into your head are still from 1996. The answer is that the Federal Communications Commission set those limits in August of that year, and they have not been changed since. The key number is 1.6 watts per kilogram, averaged over any 1 gram of tissue. This is called the specific absorption rate, or SAR. Every phone sold in the United States is tested against that limit.

Most other countries use a different system. The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, whose guidelines many nations follow, allows 2 watts per kilogram. But it averages that energy over 10 grams of tissue instead of 1 gram. That difference matters. Averaging over a larger mass smooths out hot spots in the tissue. So the two limits cannot be compared just by looking at the numbers. The arithmetic changes more than the headline figures suggest.

The FCC took a look at its own limits in 2019 and decided to keep them. Some groups wanted stricter rules and went to court. In 2021 the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals gave a mixed answer. It upheld the FCC on the question of cancer. But on other questions, including whether the rules adequately protect children, the court said the agency had not explained its reasoning well enough. It sent those issues back for the FCC to reconsider. The court did not set any new limits itself. So the 1996 numbers are still the ones in force.

If you want to check a particular phone, its SAR test results are on file with the FCC under the device’s FCC ID. That tells you the phone met the 1996 limit when it was tested. It does not settle the health argument either way. The science on whether long-term exposure at these levels is safe is still debated. Published studies have given different results. Some show no clear harm. Others suggest possible effects, especially from long use held close to the head.

The FCC has said it follows the guidance of other federal health agencies. Those agencies have not recommended changing the limits. But critics say the 1996 rules were based on the science of that time and do not account for how people use phones today. Children, for instance, have thinner skulls and smaller heads. The court noted this gap in the FCC’s reasoning. The agency has not yet completed its new review.

This is a question of public policy and science. It is not something a sticker, a shield, or a device can fix. If you are worried about your own exposure, you can keep the phone a little away from your head or use speaker mode. That is practical advice, not a guarantee. For medical questions about radiation and health, talk to your doctor. For legal questions about the rules, talk to a lawyer or the FCC itself. The 1996 limit is still the law of the land. It may change someday. For now, it is what we have.

This is covered in more detail at why the FCC limits date from 1996.