American student finds GPS tracker stuck to car, FBI shows up

[Deleted_171835]

Mechanics spot strange things stuck under cars all the time, but when 20-year-old Yasir Afifi's ride was put up on lifts his shop found something that hadn't been kicked up from the road: a cylindrical tube connected to a device with an antenna. An extremely paranoid person would think they'd found a bomb, but the truth isn't much better. It was an FBI tracking device. Afifi posted pictures and his story on Reddit while a friend contemplated cunning things to do with it, sticking it to someone else's car or selling it on Craigslist. They didn't have long to ponder long before two "sneaky-looking" people were spotted outside his apartment. Afifi got in his car and drove off, only to be pulled over by FBI agents who demanded the device back, threatening "We're going to make this much more difficult for you if you don't cooperate."

Now, we've already given our opinions on using GPS technology like this and, while it's unknown whether these agents had a warrant to place this device, the 9th US Court of Appeals recently made one unnecessary for this sort of thing. The ACLU is working with Afifi to fight that ruling, and for now we're hoping that he, who is an American with an Egyptian father, is currently able to hit the town without agents following his every move. However, at this point they may not need a tracker: one agent who retrieved the device took the time to list off his favorite restaurants and even congratulated him on his new job.

One of the agents produced a printout of a blog post that Afifi’s friend Khaled allegedly wrote a couple of months ago. It had “something to do with a mall or a bomb,” Afifi said. He hadn’t seen it before and doesn’t know the details of what it said.
this post: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments...are_you/c0sve5q[/p]

Source

This is outrageous. Plain and simple.

 

[Ferrariman]

Why would someone care if the government was tracking them unless A) they made the information public B) You're about to break the law

 

[Twiffles]

Nice source you got there.

 

[Rydian]

Why would someone care if the government was tracking them unless A) they made the information public B) You're about to break the law

So tell me, when's the last time you had sex?
Don't spare me all the juicy details.

Also, how's your financial situation? Why don't you tell me about the last time you went to the bank and what it was for?

Got any embarrassing rashes or blemishes you've been getting medicine from the drug store for, or have seen a doctor about?




It's called "privacy". Christ.

 

[Infinite Zero]

Source is WAT?

 

[Advi]

Why would someone care if the government was tracking them unless A) they made the information public B) You're about to break the law

So tell me, when's the last time you had sex?
Don't spare me all the juicy details.

Also, how's your financial situation? Why don't you tell me about the last time you went to the bank and what it was for?

Got any embarrassing rashes or blemishes you've been getting medicine from the drug store for, or have seen a doctor about?




It's called "privacy". Christ.

it's funny how people think that anybody who wants privacy has anything to hide that they are ashamed of or something
same people probably give their SSN's to facebook
i for one DO NOT LIKED BEING STALKED, and by the FBI, no less

this is a huge violation of his privacy and the fact that he is a Muslim likely has something to do with it, sadly

 

[Rydian]

Only the third one I listed was embarrassing.

The sex thing is just plain private, and the money thing is because you may have mooch-y friends.

 

[antwill]

Source is wrong. Just thought I should point that out.

 

[CrimzonEyed]

....... i though FBI would have better equipment than that big thing...

 

[antwill]

....... i though FBI would have better equipment than that big thing...

The article I read, had a quote from a former agent who said that they are rarely found and need to be placed in such places so that it is harder for a mechanic or anyone else for that matter to find. I'd say the problem here isn't the equipment used as they get the job done and more often then not remain hidden. Unless of course you mean you thought it'd be some sort of James Bond gadgets?

 

[CrimzonEyed]

....... i though FBI would have better equipment than that big thing...

The article I read, had a quote from a former agent who said that they are rarely found and need to be placed in such places so that it is harder for a mechanic or anyone else for that matter to find. I'd say the problem here isn't the equipment used as they get the job done and more often then not remain hidden. Unless of course you mean you thought it'd be some sort of James Bond gadgets?

Nah not really. Only that my cellphone have built in gps works well enogh to plant on a car if i wanted.

EDIT: i tracked my mom for a whole day using google latitude + my cellphone

(she works as a taxi driver)

 

[_Chaz_]

Wow, that sucks.

Personally, I would have destroyed it as soon as I knew about it.

 

[CrimzonEyed]

Wow, that sucks.

Personally, I would have destroyed it as soon as I knew about it.

I would have sold it Ebay XD

"FBI equipment for sell"

 

[Wabsta]

Why would someone care if the government was tracking them unless A) they made the information public B) You're about to break the lawSo tell me, when's the last time you had sex?
Don't spare me all the juicy details.

Also, how's your financial situation? Why don't you tell me about the last time you went to the bank and what it was for?

Got any embarrassing rashes or blemishes you've been getting medicine from the drug store for, or have seen a doctor about?




It's called "privacy". Christ.

I do agree with you tho.

 

[_Chaz_]

Wow, that sucks.

Personally, I would have destroyed it as soon as I knew about it.

I would have sold it Ebay XD

"FBI equipment for sell"

That'd be great, but even if you had enough time to sell it, they could recover it.

 

[CrimzonEyed]

Wow, that sucks.

Personally, I would have destroyed it as soon as I knew about it.

I would have sold it Ebay XD

"FBI equipment for sell"

That'd be great, but even if you had enough time to sell it, they could recover it.

that wouldn't be my problem anymore since i got the cash

 

[0ddity]

I don't think the FBI would have had any legal recourse for recovering the device or damages if it had been destroyed. It's true, because of a recent court ruling, they can plant such devices on anyone's vehicle without a warrant, even if the vehicle is on private property, but it seems as soon as they plant it and leave, it effectively becomes abandoned, and the property of whomever's property it's planted on.

 

[wolffangalchemist]

man this would suck, good thing my car got repo'd a few months ago or i'd be tearing it apart.
i think i could find one if it was on my bike.

 

[heavyknight]

"However, at this point they may not need a tracker: one agent who retrieved the device took the time to list off his favorite restaurants and even congratulated him on his new job."

So, they're blowing time like this. The reddit post wasn't even anywhere near a threat, either. The twitter incident with the airport bombing, sounds more terrorist-like. Either that, or the FBI can't read.

I don't know about you guys, but having a complete stranger tell you where you've been, and even congratulate you on your job, there's something wrong there. You'd think they'd also have some precautions of sorts. It's stalking, without the [censored]/murder.

Sure, it's a bit drastic/overly dramatic, but, whatever. what's possible, is possible. I wonder what would happen if I said a bunch of terrorist-like things. Since I don't leave my house at all, would anything be done about it? I dare them to try tracking me...

[troll] I'm gonna' bomb GBAtemp! Let's blow up a school! Car bombing! Let's make twitter HQ crumble. Nexon America will become Nexon Americant! [/troll]

 

[trumpet-205]

I'll attach it to someone else car, rather than tearing it apart.