TSA launches controversial imaging at major US airports

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is taking delivery of new imaging scanners for security checkpoints at 21 of the busiest airports in the country. The new scanners will provide images that are similar to near-naked photos.

These new security portals use a technology known as millimeter waves to see through a passenger’s clothing and produce images that outline the naked body.

In the name of enhanced security, airline passengers have been required to expose their feet, place personal-care liquids in see-through baggies and now will be subjected to virtually nude images.

There are people saying that this is a violation of passengers’ rights.

“It’s a virtual strip search,” commented Barry Steinhardt, American Civil Liberties Union director of technology and liberty. “If Playboy published these pictures, there would be members of Congress calling them pornography.”

Once a passenger passes through the portal, the millimeter wave technology generates a graphic 3-D image in just seconds that outlines the contours of the person’s nude body. In the process, explosive devices, weapons, and all other objects carried on the body are detected.

TSA spokesperson Lara Uselding described the new imaging technology as the “first huge advancement” in airport security since metal detectors were first deployed over 30 years ago. She added that the new scanners are being employed to better ensure passenger privacy, as well as safety.

www.tsa.gov