Kamala Harris has been serving as the 49th and current Vice President of the United States since 2021, under President Joe Biden. She is the first woman to hold the position. Uniquely, the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2024 presidential elections insists on using wired earphones.
This is despite the rise of Bluetooth audio devices such as Apple’s air pods and many brands having good noise cancellation Bluetooth headphones. These Bluetooth audio devices deliver exceptional lossless audio quality via a wireless connection
Kamala has long felt that Bluetooth headphones are a security risk. Remember the “we did it Joe” video that is now a famous meme. She is seen speaking on phone while holding wired earphones.
There are many other well documented instances where the USA vice president is seen using the retro wired earphones jacked into her phone.
However, she does not have a phobia per se. Experts note that Bluetooth is a notoriously complex buggy specification to get working and the software/firmware stacks that run it are full of problems. In addition, Bluetooth devices have capabilities that must be limited to avoid being hacked into or not be used at all. For a person with access to classified data, she has taken the right precaution.
Kamala served as a U.S. senator from California from 2017 to 2021. During this period, she was on the intelligence and homeland security committees. Dealing with Technical Security and Signals Counterintelligence experts definitely left her well versed in Bluetooth vulnerabilities. While some former aides describe her as sensibly mindful of security and technological risks, others believe her concerns extend into paranoia.
Following Biden’s withdrawal from the race, Kamala may become the first female to ascend to the presidency in November.
