In one of the weirdest Beltway criticisms in recent memory, a new article has called out Vice President Kamala Harris for refusing to wear Bluetooth headphones because they’re a “security risk.” After going so far to call Harris “Bluetooth-phobic” in the headline, a real crack team of three Politico writers were required to detail the VP’s insistence on using wired headphones at all times:
In the oft meme-d video of Harris calling JOE BIDEN last November to congratulate him on winning the election (“We did it, Joe!”), she can be seen holding the tangle of wires from her headphones. In television interviews with MSNBC’s JOY REID last December and the co-hosts of ABC’s The VIEW in September, Harris is jacked in with wired headphones, as well. After casting the tie-breaking Senate vote on the American Rescue Plan in March, reporters captured Harris with wired headphones in hand. And during the campaign, she filmed campaign videos with the retro coils falling from her ears.
Here’s the thing though: Kamala is right. Wearing Bluetooth headphones are, in fact, a significant security risk, and her caution is not only warranted but necessary to her duties as vice president. After launching the odd attack, Politico‘s attempt to paint Harris as “Bluetooth-phobic” was not received well on social media where the publication and its writer were thoroughly dragged for completely missing the security angle, but also attempting to shade the vice president over her choice of headphones, which is all kinds of petty.
You can see some of the reactions below, and there was a lot more where these came from:
Bluetooth peripherals are a security risk. If they don’t rotate their unique identifier, they can easily be sniffed and tracked. If there are flaws in the security, they can be compromised. Most people don’t have to worry about these things but high level federal officials should https://t.co/oe5FAnbbmS
— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) December 6, 2021
I don’t understand this “story”
1. She is correct. Bluetooth is not exactly a fortress of security
2. Who could work up the energy to even pretend to care pic.twitter.com/QC4qkdFjv1— Jared Holt (@jaredlholt) December 7, 2021
Politico assigned THREE (!!!) writers to cover a story about how the Vice President is Bluetooth-phobic because she prefers wired headphones over earbuds. pic.twitter.com/zehO8Fyv8D
— chris evans (@chris_notcapn) December 6, 2021
In light of the hard hitting journalism about VP Harris *checks notes* using wired headphones, I’d point out that every tech security person I know warns about Bluetooth.
So much so that I don’t even connect my phone in rental cars.
— Beau of The Fifth Column (@BeauTFC) December 7, 2021
But her Bluetooth!
So they’re going with “Powerful woman takes IT security TOO SERIOUSLY” now. https://t.co/qKHzOWcH6R
— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 7, 2021
She’s right. You’re wrong. Bluetooth has been hackable for years – look up “bluebagging.” You can eavesdrop and even insert voice into it.
Instead of talking about her like she’s paranoid, maybe consider she’s understands something about security you do not. https://t.co/INxJgsk8Wm
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) December 7, 2021
Republicans: January 6 was fake
Media: Kamala Harris In Crisis As She Refuses To Wear Bluetooth Earbuds https://t.co/sU4cPtQncY
— Matt Negrin, HOST OF HARDBALL AT 7PM ON MSNBC (@MattNegrin) December 7, 2021
I’m sorry, let me attempt to summarize this: VP Kamala Harris is now being criticized for using wired headphones instead of Bluetooth because she’s worried about security risks and this is bad because… we don’t want a Vice President who goes the extra mile in national security?
— Charlotte Clymer
(@cmclymer) December 6, 2021
“Bluetooth phobia.” They literally invented a disease to label the first black, first female, first asian, Vice President with **for taking extra security precautions with our nation’s secrets**
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) December 7, 2021
The Kamala Harris “Bluetooth scandal” is just further evidence that it was never “but her emails,” it was always “but they’re females.”
— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) December 7, 2021
(Via Politico)