Pregnancy WiFi: Chinese Co. Launches Router With Setting That’s ‘Safe For Pregnant Women’, Stirs Controversy


A Chinese tech company has launched an updated version of a WiFi router which contains a setting especially if you have pregnant women in its vicinity. The company has stirred up a controversy just to boost sales, feel rival companies.

In a move that is bound to rile up the debate about safety of wireless signals and their impact on people, Chinese company Qihoo 360’s networking equipment manufacturing arm has launched a wireless router which has three settings. While the first two settings, named as “wall penetration” and “balance,” seem pretty standard — the third setting has set off a chain of accusations from rival companies.

The third setting on the wireless router is meant for pregnant women. The company claims this ‘pregnancy mode’ setting reduces radiation emitted by the router by 70 percent. Rival company and international tech giant Xiaomi has accused Qihoo 360 of using scare tactics to sell its products and assured there is no risk to pregnant women or their unborn children from WiFi signals. Xiaomi has even lashed out on China’s social media portal, saying as follows.

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

Needless to say, Qihoo 360 and Xiaomi are arch rivals and both have vested interest in multiple competing segments, including wireless routers, smartphones, and other back-end networking equipment. Recently, Xiaomi had upped the ante by launching a new router product, which offers six terabytes of storage and high-speed connections. Evidently, Xiaomi’s router has no “pregnancy” mode and the company justifiably fears that such gimmicky settings would not only adversely affect its reputation, but would also tarnish the image of wireless routers worldwide.

There has always been a strong misunderstanding and more myth than science surrounding the health effects of electromagnetic signals, such as WiFi, on humans. Despite scientists proving that the low-level non-ionizing kind used by telecommunications devices pose no threat to humans, worldwide, people are trying hard to avoid any such signals, fearing they will be harmed if exposed.

Interestingly, the BabySafe Wireless Project, a U.S-based campaign group, claims that wireless radiation does pose a risk to pregnant women and their unborn babies, but the World Health Organization has long dismissed such claims stating there’s no scientific evidence to support them.

Nonetheless, taking advantage of the ever-prevalent paranoia, Qihoo 360 has come up with the “pregnancy mode,” claims Xiaomi. In its defense, Zhou Hongyi, Qihoo’s chief executive, said at Qihoo’s P1 launch event that the firm was “targeting people who are afraid of radiation.” Interestingly, Qihoo 360 is no stranger to controversies.

[Image Credit: Kohei Hara / Getty Images, Qihoo 360]

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