Airport Full Body Scanners

Airport full body scanners are a security machines that take "naked" pictures of passengers before they board airplanes. The technology, which some have dubbed the "virtual strip search," can detect objects hidden beneath clothes. In the United States, the controversial machine was first used at an Arizona airport in November of 2007. By the spring of 2009, 40 body scanners were in use at 19 airports.http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/05/18/airport.security.body.scans/

Following the attempted bombing a Northwest Airlines flight on Christmas day 2009, full-body scan machines became the center of controversy. The debate was sparked after it was revealed that the suspected-attempted bomber, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, hid an explosive device in his underwear. The TSA ordered additional body scanners and several U.S. airports were set to starting using the devices. The full-body scanners, which show a near-perfect outline of passenger's nude bodies, raised questions about privacy concerns. http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/12/30/news/news-us-security-airline.html

The United States Marshals Service want to use the airport full body scanning technology in the nation's federal courthouses.http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COURTHOUSE_SCANNERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT According to Michael Prout, assistant director for judicial security for the U.S. Marshals Service, the Service "believes in the technology."http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COURTHOUSE_SCANNERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT He stated that the Service continues "to explore the use of body scanners as a security measure for the federal judiciary."http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_COURTHOUSE_SCANNERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Law experts are debating the constitutionality of the use of the airport full body scanners.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/24/AR2010112404510.html The United States government is citing national security concerns while opponents cite the fourth amendment's prohibition of unreasonable search and seizure.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/24/AR2010112404510.html

In an article for The Washington Post, Jeffrey Rosen, a law professor at George Washington University, explored the growing concern about the technology's invasion of privacy.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/24/AR2010112404510_2.html He reported that the European Commission's information commissioner found the airport full body scanning technology was potentially "privacy-invasive" and has not been proven effective.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/24/AR2010112404510_2.html

There are two types of whole-body imaging airport scanners. One uses a "millimeter wave" technology to capture a silhouette image of passengers bodies. The other type, called backscatter, uses X-rays. The image created, by both machines, is a 3-D, black and white image, that have been described as looking like a "fuzzy negative."http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29997633/

Passengers are asked to place their arms up for the image scan, which takes about 15-30 seconds to complete. The images are then viewed remotely and deleted.http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/05/18/airport.security.body.scans/