What's behind the Kamala Harris-based fear about wireless earphones?

Euronews

5 days ago

Wired or wireless?
We know where Kamala Harris stands when it comes to earbuds - and her take seems to have spooked the internet.
Appearing on Stephen Colbert's late night talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert for her first interview since losing to Donald Trump – and to promote her upcoming memoir '107 Days' - the former US vice president revealed the reason why she does not use wireless earphones.
Harris was shown some photos, including some of her taking calls after Joe Biden announced he was quitting the presidential race on 21 July 2024.
She admitted to taking more than 100 calls that day, and could be seen using wired earphones - as opposed to Bluetooth.
"I know I've been teased about this," she said. "But I like these kinds of earpods that have [a cable] because I served on the Senate Intelligence Committee."
She continued to explain: "I have been in classified briefings and I'm telling you, don't be on the train using your earpods thinking someone can't listen to your conversation. I'm telling you, the [wired earphones] are a bit more secure.'
The clip has gone viral, with social media users questioning some of their lifestyle choices and getting worried about who's listening in when it comes to wireless earpods...
"A politician warning you about how "they" are listening to you is all you need to know!" said one user, while another joked: 'Imagine the government being able to listen in through AirPods for them to find out I'm just listening to the same song on repeat for over a week."
Some were slightly more concerned.
"I hate the idea of people's privacy being violated", one wrote, while another commented: "If you're just listening to music or taking casual calls, wireless is fine. But for important/sensitive calls or data, wired is the smartest choice ... & @KamalaHarris isn't wrong for sticking to it."
So, can conversations be intercepted via wireless earpods?
According to techradar, German IT security analysts recently found flaws in the Airoha system on a chip (SoC), apparently 'widely used' in True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earbuds. These vulnerabilities were found in headphones from big names including Sony, Bose, JBL and Marshall – meaning that the security flaw could hypothetically let hackers eavesdrop on calls.
Furthermore, the UK's Ministry of Justice notes on their security guidance page that Bluetooth devices may not be safe enough for "Official-Sensitive or higher material", and can be used to track someone's location.
For people like Harris, who are high-risk individuals when it comes to spying, then wired earbuds are definitely the way to go. However, for the average user, the security risk is low.
That said, if the NSA or the FBI fancy hearing us chat about our favourite movies of the year so far, they're welcome. Some must-sees in there.
Elsewhere, regarding Stephen Colbert and the controversial cancellation of his long-running late-night talk show, Donald Trump has insisted that he is not the reason behind CBS and the network's parent company Paramount pulling the plug.
Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump addressed the rumours he had something to do with the axing of the 33-year-old show: "Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true!"
The president then started contemplating which one "will go first".
"Next up will be an even less talented Jimmy Kimmel, and then, a weak, and very insecure, Jimmy Fallon. The only real question is, who will go first?" wrote Trump. "Show Biz and Television is a very simple business. If you get Ratings, you can say or do anything. If you don't, you always become a victim. Colbert became a victim to himself, the other two will follow."
The final series of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will sadly end in May 2026.