On 24 July 2026 Italy’s highest court issued Order No. 24015, which concludes proceedings that were initiated in 2018 by an Apple iPhone user. The landmark decision affirms that manufacturers must provide clear and accessible information in order for consumers to be able to make informed choices in regard to potential health risks. This obligation holds, even in the face of scientific uncertainties.

This development was summarised by the plaintiff’s lawyer:

‘The Supreme Court has, for the first time in Europe, sanctioned the obligation for mobile phone manufacturers to provide consumers with warnings and instructions for the safe use of the phone (…). This obligation arises even in the presence of preliminary studies, inconclusive scientific observations, or incomplete epidemiological evidence, when these elements are relevant to suggesting a health risk.’

French-based advocacy organisation, Phonegate Alert, states that, ‘Thus, scientific uncertainty does not absolve manufacturers of their duty to provide information. On the contrary, it requires the provision of clear and understandable information. In this way, each user can manage their own exposure to risks’.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court recognised that the right to be informed about health risks constitutes a fundamental right, opening the way to financial compensation. This harm exists whenever the consumer’s freedom of choice is hindered, even in the absence of proven bodily injury.

Although this ruling specifically targeted the Apple iPhone, Phonegate Alert says that, ‘These principles apply to the entire market. Indeed, all smartphone manufacturers are now affected by this legal precedent’.

SSMA has spent years advocating for the transparent disclosure of potential risks in regard to smart meters and other RF-emitting devices. Mobile phones are only one part of the equation. We look forward to the day when financial compensation is awarded to the cohort of Australians whose lives have been changed forever, due to harm caused by smart meter emissions.

Source: Phonegate press release, 30 July 2026