Controversy erupts over release of WiFi router with “pregnant women” setting

Two rival tech giants are going head to head over a new wireless router that offers a special setting for pregnant women.

The maker of the device, Qihoo 360, created the router as an upgrade to an existing product, and included with the new version, three different settings: wall penetration, balance, and “pregnant women”.

Per the company’s website, the third setting reduces radiation emitted by the router by 70%.

Tech giant Xiaomi (and Qihoo 360 rival) has since taken to social media site Weibo to accuse Qihoo 360 of scaremongering. 

“The so-called pregnancy mode is just a marketing tactic. WiFi usage is safe, so please rest assured when using it,” the company wrote.

Worth pointing out is the fact that Xiaomi has also just launched a new router, which offers six terabytes of storage and high-speed connections (for those curious, it does not have a “pregnant women” setting). 

Qihoo 360’s decision to include this type of radiation setting is drawn from the discussions and controversy surrounding the health effects of electromagnetic signals on humans. To date, research has concluded that the low-level, non-ionizing kind used by telecom devices like routers do not cause significant harm. 

Despite this evidence, there are campaign groups like the BabySafe Wireless Project in the US, which argues wireless radiation poses a risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies.  

The World Health Organization have publicly refuted these groups’ claims, stating that wireless radiation does not pose a risk. 

“The overall weight of evidence shows that exposure to fields at typical environmental levels does not increase the risk of any adverse outcome such as spontaneous abortions, malformations, low birth weight, and congenital diseases,” reads the WHO website. “Based on a recent in-depth review of the scientific literature, the WHO concluded that current evidence does not confirm the existence of any health consequences from exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields.”

Where do you stand on this controversy? Is Qihoo 360 pulling a stunt, or are they providing a product that is truly safer for pregnant women? Let us know in the comments section below.

Via BBC