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The fight against Body Scanners continues

Body scan blurred face The Government has insisted that body scanners are to be compulsory for those selected at "random" to go through them, regardless of health concerns and moral or religious concerns (and, indeed, whether they work). Over at Flesh and Stone, Kathlyn Stone has written a good extended piece on the state of play with scanners in the USA.

I've pointed out before that the "Christmas Bomber" was able to board his flight because of systemic failure to use information the security services already had – that law enforcement needs to use the powers and information they've already got, rather than take on a whole new set of expensive, invasive powers in addition to them. Stone points this out in the US context vis a vis the $43 billion Department for Homeland Security getting more funds for 300 body scanners -

in a move that is starting to feel familiar, the government is throwing more money at the department that was created to prevent the sort of incompetence that it just displayed. 

On the privacy front, she writes:

the scans are more revealing than Janet Napolitano, the current Homeland Security chief, and Michael Chertoff, the first security czar who pushed for them, are letting on. The images are high resolution and crisp enough to reveal genitalia.

If you’re a vain person that travels a lot, you might want to start that diet and fitness program today because Transportation Security Administration staff are going to see you without your clothes on. On the other hand, if you look like you might have rolls of midriff fat, saggy breasts and small reproductive organs it might win you a pass-through wave by TSA staff. Not so fast if you’re a shapely woman or a buff-looking man.

Currently, U.S. citizens can opt-out of the scan and instead “receive an equal level of screening and undergo a pat-down procedure,” according to TSA’s website. What, exactly, is this alternative screening that’s on “an equal level” with being viewed without your clothes on?

I note of course that this is an option that we in the UK don't have.

Good piece. Check it out.

By Alex Deane

Posted on February 23, 2010 by Alex Deane Posted in Body Scanners
  • http://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/home 1984

    I have been trying to find out if the scanners in the UK both protect passenger privacy and passenger safety. I have contacted Lord Adonis, Transport Minister six times over the last three weeks – he will not reply.
    I have contacted both Manchester and Heathrow airports, and at first received completely contradictory information from them ( Heathrow stated that the x-ray scanners will not penetrate the skin and therefore will not be harmful, in contrast Manchester have stated that the scanners DO penetrate the skin ). When I pointed out their completely contradictory stances they they both stated that they would not reply to any more of my correspondence. What are they afraid of?
    I have left several other comments on the scanner pages below with my detailed concerns over the privacy and safety issues of airport scanners. I have also been in touch with the European Union who have assured me that they are looking into my concerns and will get back to me.
    As I have stated in my previous posts on this site, the evidence that these scanners both invade privacy and ARE dangerous is staring everyone in the face – I have asked numerous people to explain how it is that if these scanners can see internal body structure, such as bones, which they do, and the pictures by the scanning company, Rapiscan, who make UK scanners clearly show they do, how can these x-rays that CLEARLY penetrate into the body be safe? On this issue the Government and the UK airport authorities can offer nothing but a stonewalling silence.

  • http://profile.typepad.com/stonekat1 Stonekat

    Thanks, Alex, for recommending the article.
    To complete the picture I should have included the “scanner lobby.”
    In sum:
    Former Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff, now head of the Chertoff Group (chertoffgroup.com) of former seniors and underlings from the CIA, military and Homeland Security, represents Rapiscan Systems, one of the top manufacturers of full body scanners. Chertoff’s been selling Rapiscan’s scanners since he was in the Bush administration. The government bought five of them when he was secretary, and last summer under the Obama administration, the Transportation Security Administration ordered 150 machines from Rapiscan, partly with “economic recovery” funds. There are many former politicians and Senate and House staff members out actively selling the scanners under the pretense of security.
    It’s no different from the days when acting VP Cheney gave no-bid contracts to Halliburton, and Defense Secretary Rumsfeld used his position to promote the avian flu scare in order to sell Tamiflu. As the former board chair and CEO of these companies, respectively, both profited from the soaring stock value of these companies.
    Thanks and keep up the good work.
    Kathlyn Stone

  • http://www.dvrsecuritysystem.org DVR Security System

    Thanks for the informative site. I keep coming back, as the information is first class. Thanks

  • peterg22

    So let me see.. you have a “person” present at airport security wearing a burkha. You’re not allowed to pat them down on religious grounds; you’re suggesting they can’t be body-scanned on religious/medical/potential death ray issue (but only in Manchester it seems), and the “person” doesn’t speak English so asking them “are you carrying a bomb?” goes unanswered.
    What do you do next?

  • http://dvrsecuritysystemworld.com dvr security system

    I don’t see what the problem is. People like to make a big fuss for nothing then when security gets bypassed they start complaining there safety was breached. People need to make up there minds. No wonder governments don’t listen to our voices, instead they make there own decisions.