In the teaser, we could read: “Apple probably killed more people than Pfizer”. Originally posted on May 2, this tweet quickly went viral, especially on accounts with conspiracy smacks.
@GrablyR @DEFAKATOR_Off @vitt_romain so there they are really stupid conspirators https://t.co/CxLyu6rK4Q
— 15locraft (@15locraft) May 3, 2022
To justify his point, the author of the video shows that by bringing the AirPods closer to a device used to measure waves, the latter begins to emit red light and shrill sounds. The objective here is to demonstrate that by inserting Apple’s wireless headphones into the ear canal, we expose our brain to the waves.
This video is accompanied by a second tweet referring to an article from Ulyces, an information site. It is actually a copy-paste of an article from Tech Times, an American media specializing in new technologies. The author of the article returns to a petition signed by 250 scientists who alert the WHO assuming that “Airpods increase the risk of cancer”.
Where is this video from?
The video shared in the first tweet is the work of Safe Tech for Santa Rosa, “a group of ordinary citizens who live in Santa Rosa”, in California. Its members want “to raise awareness of the challenges of wireless technology”. On paper, nothing too bad.
Except that by taking a closer look at this group, we discover more disturbing remarks. According to the collective, bluetooth technology “disrupts DNA”leads “an increased risk of certain cancers”generates a “neurological impairment” and “can be fatal to birds”.
To support these remarks, the collective does not rely on… anything. No analysis has been conducted in the laboratory, no study, no report, nothing comes to prove any causal link between the waves emitted by bluetooth devices and possible health problems. Moreover the group itself does not claim any scientific expertise.
But then why does the wave tester panic on the video? For a very simple reason: it is its role.
On the video, the demonstrator brings the wireless headphones emitting radio waves close to a device measuring these radio waves. Of course, the two devices communicate with each other.
Wireless devices reduce radiation exposure by 10
What about the petition written by 250 scientists? In reality, at no time do scientists claim that AirPods are dangerous to health. Moreover, the first version of the report was published in 2015 indicates TF1info, before the marketing of the first AirPods.
And even in its latest version published in 2019, the petition never mentions bluetooth technology or wireless headphones. Scientists are more generally concerned about the risks associated with exposure to radiofrequency waves.
Since the publication of this petition, other studies have emerged. Last January, the ANFR (National Frequency Agency) published its first study on public exposure to electromagnetic waves, in particular earphones and hands-free kits.
The conclusion is clear: these kits “whether wired or wireless, reduce maximum exposure by a factor of about 10 compared to using the phone directly against the ear”. Not only are wireless headphones safe for your health, but they reduce exposure to smartphone waves.
