Two Chinese tech firms, Qihoo 360 and Xiaomi, have quarreled over a wireless router with a unique setting for pregnant women. The two firms are intense rivals and have both recently released new products.
Qihoo 360 released the wireless router that is currently at the center of controversy. The router has three settings: wall penetration, balance and pregnant women. The ‘pregnant women’ setting reduces radiation emitted by the router by 70 percent, according to Qihoo 360.
However, Xiaomi has accused Qihoo 360 of causing unnecessary alarm. “The so-called pregnancy mode is just a marketing tactic. Wi-fi usage is safe, so please rest assured when using it,” Xiaomi wrote on Weibo.
A US-based campaign group known as the BabySafe Wireless Project believes wireless radiation causes dangerous risks to pregnant women and their unborn babies, according to BBC News.
Yet, the World Health Organization says there is no supporting evidence thus far to the BabySafe Project’s claims.
“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,” according to 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,” according to BBC News.
