RFK Jr switches gears from anti-vaxx promotion to amplify 5G conspiracy theory

The Robert F. Kennedy Jr -led Health and Human Services Department, which has been working to limit vaccines, is now targeting 5G networks with a callout for the public’s comments on potential health effects related to the debunked theory.

A statement, posted by HHS this week, asked that Americans share information related to potential exposure to electromagnetic fields and wireless radiation associated with cellphones and a long list of other smart devices including Wi-Fi, smart meters, wireless infrastructure, wearable technologies, wireless medical devices and autonomous vehicles.

HHS said the comments will help to identify gaps in research and strengthen rules designed to protect Americans’ health.

5G, the most advanced cellular network which connects devices to the internet, was launched nationwide in December 2019. Three months later, Covid-19 cases exploded across the country, and a conspiracy theory began making the rounds online that 5G was spreading the virus. In 2018 - before 5G was released - people had alleged it was tied to cancer cases.

RFK Jr., a prominent voice for other debunked claims on the role of vaccines in autism and chemtrails, has previously said he is concerned about the impacts of 5G.

“Generally speaking, electromagnetic radiation is a major health concern,” Kennedy told USA TODAY in January, when asked for his thoughts about 5G towers. “I’m very concerned about it.”

He also claimed in the same interview there are “literally over 10,000 studies” that document a number of ill effects from electromagnetic radiation, including cancer, tumor growth and opening the blood-brain barrier.

But the link has been widely disproven. A 2024 review of 63 peer-reviewed, academic studies which examined potential links between cellphones and cancer found no justification for health concerns, according to the World Health Organization.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which falls under the HHS umbrella of agencies, also states it does “not have the science to link health problems to cell phone use.”

“The MAHA [Make America Healthy Again] Strategy directed HHS to examine electromagnetic radiation and health research, and this RFI delivers on that commitment,” HHS Press Secretary Grace Davis Jamison department told The Independent on Friday.

The callout came as Kennedy spoke to anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense - a group he founded, which has sought to combat the installation of cell towers - telling the organization they have “a friend in the White House.”