Egyptian-American college student files lawsuit over GPS tracker put on car.

[TalkingDog]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41876956/ns/us_news-security/

An Egyptian-American college student who says he has never done anything that should attract the interest of federal law enforcement officials filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the FBI for secretly putting a GPS tracking device on his car.

Yasir Afifi, 20, says a mechanic doing an oil change on his car in October discovered the device stuck with magnets between his right rear wheel and exhaust. They were not sure what it was, but Afifi had the mechanic remove it and a friend posted photos of it online to see whether anyone could identify it.

Two days later, Afifi says, agents wearing bullet-proof vests pulled him over as he drove away from his apartment in San Jose, California, and demanded their property back.

Afifi's lawsuit, filed by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, claims the FBI violated his civil rights by putting the device on his car without a warrant. His lawyers say Afifi, who was born in the United States, was targeted because of his extensive ties to the Middle East — he travels there frequently, helps support two brothers who live in Egypt, and his father was a well-known Islamic-American community leader who died last year in Egypt.

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. 'demanded their property back'?

Wow, they've got a lot of nerve, haven't they?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. He gave it back at the time

[KittyWampus]

2. Disturbing. And I sincerely hope the Obama Administration is actually considering GPS tracking

as something that does need a warrant.

The story doesn't provide enough info for me to grasp what the Administration really said about this.

[Macoy51]

3. Ask for Proof of Ownership

I would politely ask to see their hand receipt or other proof they owned the device. Of course after he found it, calling the police to report a possible bomb would be a great way to get the FBI tactics some publicity.

Let'slear out a few blocks of downtown to remove the FBIs tracking device. lol


Macoy

[FiveGoodMen]

6. They'd just have the press report that it WAS a bomb.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

4. It does not and the court precedents are mixed

The 9th Circuit allows it, which astounded me at the time.

[alp227]

7. probably will just end with an out of court settlement, no real consequences

Sheesh! The FBI would never try to wiretap militia movement members wouldn't they? You can thank the PATRIOT Act for this stupid story.

Oh, as the justice system continuously does unwarranted wiretapping for people who might commit acts of terrorism, after the underwear bomber's father alerted the CIA the FBI didn't get Umar Abdulmutallab's name on the No-Fly list.