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This story gives background on Karen Thomas, the environmental activist who was tracked by the device. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/05/gps/ http://www
by kwiens 15y ago
This story gives background on Karen Thomas, the environmental activist who was tracked by the device.
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/05/gps/ http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/05/gps/
The FBI demanded the device back and she said no. Amazingly, that was the end of the story—until the Afifi story came out, and she decided to give Wired the tracker.
The interesting legal question (in addition to whether you need a warrant to do this sort of thing) is who owns something attached to your car?
- TillE 15y agoThe article indicates that court rulings have been mixed as to whether a warrant is required. I suspect the FBI doesn't want to force the issue, in case they lose. If the tracking were completely legally sanctioned, I can't imagine that the trackee would have any claim to ownership over the device.
- goatforce5 15y agoTo force the issue they'd have to prove they had the right to put it there in the first place, right? Alternatively they expect these to go missing and it's not worth the hassle to get them back.
- jrockway 15y agoThe interesting legal answer is... apparently iFixIt.
- ChuckMcM 15y agoI suppose if they really really wanted it you could send them the parts back.
- jellicle 15y agoYou do, as whoever put it there clearly intentionally abandoned possession of it.
- sehugg 15y agoI'll be very interesting in hearing what the Supreme Court has to say about all this. Consider the following worst-case scenario: 1. Supreme Court rules that use of GPS tracking devices by law enforcement do not violate 4th Amendment. 2. Future court rulings find that tampering with GPS devices amounts to interfering with a police investigation. 3. Law enforcement starts planting GPS devices directly on persons, such as in a purse, or when miniaturized further, in wallets or attached to clothing. Maybe these devices only capture data "when in public areas" and are eventually declared legal. 4. Since they cannot be tampered with, police begin attaching wristbands to citizens stopped at routine traffic stops who they suspect of crimes. Sounds far-fetched, but not when you consider the amount of surveillance that goes on already via cell phones and credit cards.
- marshray 15y agoWhat do you mean "sounds far-fetched"? There are people walking around with government installed GPS bracelets right now: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle_monitor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankle_monitor