There is no substantiated scientific evidence of health effects associated with radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic energy (EME) produced by wearable electronic devices.
What is a wearable device?
Wearable devices or ‘wearables’ are electronic devices that are worn on the body such as smart watches and wireless earphones. They use RF EME to transfer data to another device - typically via Bluetooth technology to a mobile phone.
Can wearable devices cause adverse health effects?
There have been questions from some users about whether RF EME exposure from wearable devices is potentially harmful, because these devices are worn on the body for long periods of time. However, Bluetooth technology uses low power RF EME to connect to devices that are near each other. And because the RF EME travels a short distance, less power and energy is used which means the exposure is low. Some smart watches also connect directly to the mobile phone network. In this case, RF EME exposure can be higher because more energy is required to travel further to reach a mobile phone tower, and the device is operating at higher power. Even under these conditions, the RF EME exposure will be below the safety limit as per the devices’ operating requirements.
Smart watches and wireless earphones that use RF EME are regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). ACMA’s regulatory arrangements require technology that uses RF EME to comply with the exposure limits in the ARPANSA safety standard. Before distribution in Australia, ACMA requires suppliers to test devices for compliance with the ARPANSA standard. This standard is designed to protect people of all ages and health conditions against all known adverse health effects from RF EME exposure.
Conclusion
While there is limited research available that is specific to wearable devices, they use the same type of RF EME as other wireless technologies and are required to comply with the same safety limits. ARPANSA continues to review the research into potential health effects of RF EME exposure from wearable devices and other sources to provide accurate and up-to-date advice.
