Unless you work in a data center with a massive number of servers, there's no reason to even raise your eyebrows at that innocuous little router sitting in the corner of your home, mostly forgotten and probably a little bit dusty. Therein lies the whole irony of radiation product scams: By attempting to circumvent the low levels of electromagnetic radiation a device like a cell phone or router must emit in order to send an iMessage or connect to your favorite streaming service, a consumer could actually be making the situation worse. In fact, products that block only the earpiece – or another small portion of the phone – are totally ineffective because the entire phone emits electromagnetic waves.Įven more concerning? The FTC says smartphone radiation shields may interfere with the device's signal, causing it to "draw even more power to communicate with the base station, and possibly emit more radiation." The same could be true for the metal cages being marketed as router blockers. In it, the FTC notes that health studies have shown no conclusive relationship between cell phone radiation emissions and health problems, but scammers can take advantage of the public's fear and lack of understanding when it comes to smartphones.įrom the report: If you're looking for ways to limit your exposure to the electromagnetic emissions from your cell phone, know that, according to the FTC, there is no scientific proof that so-called shields significantly reduce exposure from these electromagnetic emissions. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) put out a notice on cell phone radiation scams. In 2011, as smartphones began to rise in ubiquity, the U.S. Sadly, this isn't the first time con artists have used radiation scare tactics to earn a quick buck by preying on some genuinely concerned (but woefully misled) customers. There are some legitimate Faraday pouches and other enclosures you can purchase for your key fob or laptop to keep it protected from hackers at all times (see below), but the shady router covers fit squarely in the "do not recommend" pile. If the various iterations of "router guard" and "router cover" selling on Amazon for well over $60 let any internet access through, they're not Faraday cages at all. Put another way, it's a hollow conductor, and the charge is on the outside surface of the cage. That's because by definition, a Faraday cage is an enclosure that distributes an electrical charge or radiation all around the exterior of the cage, protecting anything inside. If the man who invented the namesake technology for blocking electronic fields could read the reviews for Amazon products that promise to act like Faraday cages and shield radiation (while still letting wireless internet into your home), he'd probably just get in a cage, lock it, and throw away the key. Right about now, Michael Faraday is rolling around in his grave. VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Getty Images There are scores of sketchy companies waiting to cash in on customers who believe in 5G-related conspiracy theories, including the brands "Router Guard" and "EMF Essentials." These scams aren't necessarily new, but the Amazon product listings have gone viral after a December 2 tweet pointed out the irony of the whole ordeal. Master your digital world with best-in-class tech explainers and unlimited access to Pop Mech, starting NOW. If they were real Faraday cages, none of your home WiFi signal would come through.
There's just one small problem with their fool-proof plan: The kinds of containers that truly do block all electromagnetic radiation are called Faraday cages, and they're not the same thing as these so-called "router guards" that look like glorified mesh file organizers. This may sound like a made-up scenario, but 5G truthers really have bought these devices in droves.
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There! Now you're instantly protected from those treacherous waves of radiation! To shield 5G's myriad evils, then, you put your WiFi router in a metallic box that "blocks about 90 percent" of the signal. Let's say you hate 5G and genuinely believe it causes cancer or spreads COVID-19, despite there being no evidence to support those wild conspiracies.
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A real Faraday cage, however, would block all electromagnetic radiation, including WiFi these are basically just overpriced metal cages.Companies are duping people into buying fake Faraday cages they say will block harmful radiation and 5G, but keep home WiFi signal intact.