Full Body Scanner Images

As of November 2010, sixty eight airports in the United States had begun using 365 full body scanners that can "see through" the clothes of passengers. The Transportation Security Administration anticipates to have 500 scanners installed by the beginning of 2011 and twice that many by the end of the same year.http://www.livescience.com/technology/090401-airport-scan.htmlhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29997633/

There has been an ongoing controversy over the security devices and their use of X-rays or millimeter wave technology to reveal what a passenger may be hiding underneath clothes. The pictures taken by airport full-body scanners will clearly show any metallic items, plastic explosives and other items. The pictures are usually black and white or appear to look like a film negative.http://www.livescience.com/technology/090401-airport-scan.htmlhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29997633/ The full body scanner pictures are controversial because they show the silhouette of a complete nude body. The photos show everything beneath a person's clothes. Some feel that the nude body scanner images could be misused and others worry that others would be able to see the images, which could reveal potentially embarrassing things like breast implants, false limbs and body piercings. Some say it's an invasion of privacy.http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/10/13/consumer-x-ray-scans.html Critics have dubbed the technology a "virtual strip search."http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1239032/Would-YOU-happy-naked-body-scan.html According to security officials, the images are viewed at remote locations and the pictures taken by the airport body scanners are not saved and are deleted unless a more thorough search is warranted.http://wbztv.com/local/body.scanners.logan.2.1395414.html

On July 6, 2010, it was reported that Dubai airports would not allow these full body scanners due to the use's contradiction to Islam and its lack of respect for personal privacy. Instead of the full body scanners, Dubai is looking for other inspection techniques such as face recognition cameras.http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Body-scanners-will-not-be-used-at-Dubai-airports-Reports/articleshow/6134697.cms

Compounding the controversy, a U.S. Marshal in a Florida Federal courthouse recently revealed 35,000 full body scanner images which he had stored despite official claims that the images are not being preserved.http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/16/leaked-images-body-scanners-hit-web/ Of these images, 100 were leaked online by Gizmodo.com on November 16, 2010.http://gizmodo.com/5690749/these-are-the-first-100-leaked-body-scans

A a result of new TSA guidelines which enable more intrusive pat downs, human rights groups are promoting a November 24th National Opt Out Day which encourages passengers to opt-out of TSA manual inspections as well as full body scans on that day.http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/11/national-opt-out/

On December 29, 2009, it was reported that the TSA would buy 300 full body scanners in 2010 due to President Barack Obama's order. The new scanners are in addition to a prior order of 150 machines made in October, 2009. The demand for the airport full body scanners increased after 23-year-old Nigerian terror suspect, Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab, attempted to ignite a PETN explosive device that was hidden in his underwear on Christmas Day 2009.http://www.businessweek.com/news/2009-12-29/calls-for-full-body-screening-grow-after-terror-act-update1-.html