The FBI has been caught out using a GPS tracking device to keep tabs on a student from the USA. The device was first discovered when the student took his car in to a local mechanics to have the oil changed. This simple bit of maintenance led to the discovery of the vehicle tracking device which at the time neither the mechanic nor the student knew what it was.
They then removed the device from the car and later the FBI turned up on his door to demand the return of the GPS tracking equipment.
It turns out that the student named Yasir Afifi had been under surveillance by the FBI for a while, possible up to six months. This was all due to the fact that he was the son of a Islamic American community leader who had passed away last year in Egypt.
Such surveillance is now under scrutiny as it is thought to be illegal. It’s certainly a big intrusion of privacy and this would most certainly be illegal in many western countries. This type of use of vehicle tracking is exactly what many people warn will happen as it becomes cheaper and more accessible. Not only by the authorities but by individuals and criminals.
