Supporters of Donald Trump accused his opponent Kamala Harris of wearing earrings equipped with a Nova H1 speaker during the debates on September 10. Newsweek found that such earrings essentially do not exist.
Many individuals on social media spread the theory that Harris's earrings had built-in acoustic speakers. While searching for a specific model of such a device, they claimed that Harris was using the Nova H1 audio earrings.
Allegedly, the earrings emit directed sound, which is only audible to the wearer. The product page for this model on Kickstarter states that the earrings sit on the earlobes and direct sound from within the pearls straight into the ear canal. They do appear somewhat similar to Harris’s earrings, but they are not the same (see the second image below). Fashion bloggers have already identified the pair of Tiffany earrings (the third image) that Harris wore during the debates and previous events, also noting that she had a necklace from the same collection.
The main flaw in the conspiracy theory surrounding the earrings is that Nova H1 Audio Earrings almost do not exist in reality. The device was part of a Kickstarter project that “vanished off the radar.” They cannot be purchased online, nor has it ever been possible. Nova Products, the company behind the project, has not updated its Kickstarter page since May 2023. Backers left a message asking for an update on the status of the earrings they were supposed to receive in exchange for their pledge.
The link to Nova Products listed on Kickstarter redirects to the website of another company, Icebach Sound Solutions. On this site, you can find audio earrings with a slightly different design. After the debates, the company decided to capitalize on the topic: it states that a “special edition for the presidential debates will soon be available to everyone.” This message was added to the site sometime between 7:00 AM and 11:25 AM Eastern Time, according to The Wayback Machine. Subsequently, a link to CES 2025 appeared on this page.
On the websites of Icebach and Nova, the domains are registered to Stefan Berendse with BBG Entertainment GmbH, a mobile game developer from Germany. What connection the company has to audio products or the presidential elections in the United States remains a mystery, but Engadget reached out to BBG as well as Harris's campaign organizers for comment.
“We do not know if Mrs. Harris wore any of our products. The resemblance is remarkable, and while our product was not specifically designed for use during presidential debates, it fits the purpose,” said Malte Iversen, head of Icebach Sound Solutions.
The company's statement seems to be an attempt to profit from the hype: “To ensure a level playing field for both candidates, we are currently developing a men's version and will be able to offer it to Trump’s campaign soon.”
Thus, Harris indeed wore earrings that are similar but not identical to a model that was never released. The new model has a slightly different design, and fashion enthusiasts identified the U.S. Vice President’s earrings as Tiffany.
Engadget notes that this is not the first time Republicans have accused their opponents of using technological means to gain an advantage in presidential debates. Similar allegations were directed at Joe Biden in 2020, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Barack Obama in 2012. Each time, researchers debunked this theory. The site mentions that, in contrast, Democrats have never resorted to such accusations.
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