Politico stirred the “KHive” a couple of months ago, enraging the very online fanbase of Kamala Harris over its reporting the vice president is “Bluetooth-phobic.” The former California senator apparently forgoes Bluetooth headphones such as Apple AirPods, opting for traditional wired headphones due to security concerns.
Although the Politico scoop was published more in jest than anything, that didn’t stop Harris fans from fomenting outrage over a nonexistent outrage cycle. Still, in the interest of fairness, let me offer the KHive a sense of vindication. Not only have cybersecurity experts maintained that Harris’s concerns are valid, but also I have now witnessed a sitting congressman committing the very faux pas Harris fears.
On a connecting flight from Washington-Reagan airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, a crucial East Coast hub for American Airlines, I spotted a certain Republican congressman heading home south for the weekend. I attempted to connect my AirPods to my phone, and lo and behold, this four-term member of the House had his phone listed publicly as “[insert congressman’s name here]’s iPhone.”
It’s hardly the biggest scandal in Washington, D.C. — not if Eric Swalwell can get honey-potted by a Chinese spy. This member is not even on the House Intelligence Committee or a key player in foreign affairs on the Hill. Regardless, any sitting member of Congress should probably avoid publicly identifying themselves as targets for hacking via means as easy as Bluetooth on a plane.
Hill staffers, please check on your Boomer bosses. My fellow Americans, please just consider: If our Washington overlords cannot protect their own Bluetooth privacy on a public plane, do you really want them regulating the internet?
