J
JTizzle
Posts: 366
Oct 8, 2010 9:39pm
Several days ago a 20-year-old student discovered a GPS tracking device hidden on his car. After his friend posted a picture of it online, speculating about its ties to a secret FBI investigation, the feds themselves came a-knockin', according to Wired.com. They wanted their toy back.
Based on the discussion with the six FBI agents who arrived at his doorstep, Yassir Afifi believes he'd been under surveillance for three to six months. When Wired asked an FBI spokesman about the case, he did not acknowledge ownership of the device, but said that there was an "ongoing investigation."
Afifi says that he cooperated with the FBI and, according to Wired, "did nothing to merit attention from authorities." He is a U.S. citizen who lives in Santa Clara, Calif., where he attends Mission College.
Afifi's father, an Islamic-American activist, died a year ago in Egypt. It is not clear what the circumstances of his death were, or if this was the reason for the FBI's investigation of Afifi.
The gadget itself — a GPS receiver identified as a police-issue-only Cobham Orion Guardian ST820 tracking system, connected to a battery pack and radio transmitter — was magnetically attached to the car. A shot of it made its way around the blogosphere on Monday, after appearing on the community news site Reddit. After Afifi spotted an antenna sticking out during an oil change, the garage owner offered to yank it out. It apparently popped off quite easily.
The question of whether or not sticking a GPS on a car is legal is actually in the middle of a hot debate right now. One federal court recently said that it was legal, while another said that tracking for an "extended period of time" would in fact require a warrant. (For more on this, here's a great piece in Time written by lawyer and tech journalist Adam Cohen.)
Legality aside, the tactic itself might have been carried out with something less than precision. Simply put, tracking devices shouldn't be so easy to find. Wired talked to an agent who said that not only is the tracking device out of date, but state-of-the-art snoops hardwire the stuff directly to the car's electrical system, avoiding the need for a battery.
What's impressive is how quickly Afifi got an identification of the gadget by crowdsourcing it on the Web. On the flipside, that kind of exposure isn't good PR for the FBI. Surely the revelation of the magnetic tracker will cause many people to check under their own cars. Like many noble efforts to keep us safe from terrorism, this one may be turning out to not be so effective. After all, those who already know they're involved in illegal activity probably check their cars every day, rain or shine.
This piece originally appeared on Technolog. For more details on the Afifi story, read the report at Wired.com.
Based on the discussion with the six FBI agents who arrived at his doorstep, Yassir Afifi believes he'd been under surveillance for three to six months. When Wired asked an FBI spokesman about the case, he did not acknowledge ownership of the device, but said that there was an "ongoing investigation."
Afifi says that he cooperated with the FBI and, according to Wired, "did nothing to merit attention from authorities." He is a U.S. citizen who lives in Santa Clara, Calif., where he attends Mission College.
Afifi's father, an Islamic-American activist, died a year ago in Egypt. It is not clear what the circumstances of his death were, or if this was the reason for the FBI's investigation of Afifi.
The gadget itself — a GPS receiver identified as a police-issue-only Cobham Orion Guardian ST820 tracking system, connected to a battery pack and radio transmitter — was magnetically attached to the car. A shot of it made its way around the blogosphere on Monday, after appearing on the community news site Reddit. After Afifi spotted an antenna sticking out during an oil change, the garage owner offered to yank it out. It apparently popped off quite easily.
The question of whether or not sticking a GPS on a car is legal is actually in the middle of a hot debate right now. One federal court recently said that it was legal, while another said that tracking for an "extended period of time" would in fact require a warrant. (For more on this, here's a great piece in Time written by lawyer and tech journalist Adam Cohen.)
Legality aside, the tactic itself might have been carried out with something less than precision. Simply put, tracking devices shouldn't be so easy to find. Wired talked to an agent who said that not only is the tracking device out of date, but state-of-the-art snoops hardwire the stuff directly to the car's electrical system, avoiding the need for a battery.
What's impressive is how quickly Afifi got an identification of the gadget by crowdsourcing it on the Web. On the flipside, that kind of exposure isn't good PR for the FBI. Surely the revelation of the magnetic tracker will cause many people to check under their own cars. Like many noble efforts to keep us safe from terrorism, this one may be turning out to not be so effective. After all, those who already know they're involved in illegal activity probably check their cars every day, rain or shine.
This piece originally appeared on Technolog. For more details on the Afifi story, read the report at Wired.com.
J
JTizzle
Posts: 366
Oct 8, 2010 9:41pm
"Wired talked to an agent who said that not only is the tracking device out of date, but state-of-the-art snoops hardwire the stuff directly to the car's electrical system, avoiding the need for a battery."
Yeah It's called ONSTAR already conveniently located on your car
Yeah It's called ONSTAR already conveniently located on your car
J
JTizzle
Posts: 366
Oct 8, 2010 9:48pm
ccrunner609;512551 wrote:I blame Bush
Lol ******* Patriot Act
Glory Days
Posts: 7,809
Oct 9, 2010 7:12am
Seems like it could be someone other than the FBI tracking him. the Egyptians?
I bet all the FBI agents were white too. there, just thought i would get the race thing out of the way.
ccrunner609;512551 wrote:I blame Bush
I bet all the FBI agents were white too. there, just thought i would get the race thing out of the way.
CenterBHSFan
Posts: 6,115
Oct 9, 2010 7:18am
Glory Days;513078 wrote:Seems like it could be someone other than the FBI tracking him. the Egyptians?
I bet all the FBI agents were white too. there, just thought i would get the race thing out of the way.
I think I just heard Isadore's head explode somewhere....
I
I Wear Pants
Posts: 16,223
Oct 9, 2010 1:58pm
I bet if I voice my concern over this that Isadore will come out and say how it's typical since I'm such a USA hating soldier basher or something along those lines.
First off I don't think something like this should be legal without a warrant. And then when they get a warrant they shouldn't use gigantic tracking devices obviously placed.
First off I don't think something like this should be legal without a warrant. And then when they get a warrant they shouldn't use gigantic tracking devices obviously placed.
#1DBag
Posts: 786
Oct 9, 2010 2:00pm
Guv'ment Gangstas.
I
imneverwrong
Posts: 138
Oct 9, 2010 4:55pm
No pictures?
I
I Wear Pants
Posts: 16,223
Oct 9, 2010 5:03pm
This is the device.
redfalcon
Posts: 1,088
Oct 9, 2010 6:31pm
Is that is? You couldn't effectively hide that thing anywhere. Its huge.
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I Wear Pants
Posts: 16,223
Oct 10, 2010 12:17am
Yes, that really is the device.
believer
Posts: 8,153
Oct 10, 2010 7:15am
^^^Typical Big Government stupidity. 
Rotinaj
Posts: 7,699
Oct 10, 2010 8:39am
hahahaaha no way that is what they used. I refuse to believe that the guv'ment uses something as big as Mantooths trailer to track people.
T
Tiernan
Posts: 13,021
Oct 10, 2010 8:44am
Every towel-twister should be tracked. Have no prob with this whatsoever.
Rotinaj
Posts: 7,699
Oct 10, 2010 8:57am
lol wow.
Glory Days
Posts: 7,809
Oct 10, 2010 3:55pm
Rotinaj;514490 wrote:hahahaaha no way that is what they used. I refuse to believe that the guv'ment uses something as big as Mantooths trailer to track people.
yeah i have a feeling the ones they use are like the size of a bluetooth or something, if even that big.
justincredible
Posts: 32,056
Oct 10, 2010 3:58pm
Tiernan;514494 wrote:Every towel-twister should be tracked. Have no prob with this whatsoever.
How very openminded of you.
I
I Wear Pants
Posts: 16,223
Oct 10, 2010 4:10pm
No, that is literally the device in question.
http://gizmodo.com/5658661/fbi-gets-caught-tracking-mans-car-wants-its-gps-device-back
http://gizmodo.com/5655514/want-to-know-if-the-fbi-is-tracking-you-look-for-one-of-these
http://gizmodo.com/5658661/fbi-gets-caught-tracking-mans-car-wants-its-gps-device-back
http://gizmodo.com/5655514/want-to-know-if-the-fbi-is-tracking-you-look-for-one-of-these
Glory Days
Posts: 7,809
Oct 10, 2010 6:26pm
I Wear Pants;514980 wrote:No, that is literally the device in question.
http://gizmodo.com/5658661/fbi-gets-caught-tracking-mans-car-wants-its-gps-device-back
http://gizmodo.com/5655514/want-to-know-if-the-fbi-is-tracking-you-look-for-one-of-these
I understand that is the device in question, doesnt mean it belongs to the FBI. of course everyone wants assume the worst etc. but how do we not know it doesnt belong to another foreign agency, or is a really outdated FBI model that fell into the hands of a private citizen? i mean, there are dads out there with better GPS devices to track there daughters.
why would the FBI be admitting to the guy they were the ones who put it there? i dont buy the FBI putting all this information out there that easily.
M
mella
Posts: 647
Oct 10, 2010 6:39pm
I have no problem with the government tracking people. If you are law abiding there will be no fallout, if you are up to no good then your busted.