Whole Body Imaging Could Lead to Lawsuit

Whole body imaging causes controversy

Airport security personnel argue that whole body imaging is less invasive than a pat-down, but many individuals and a group called the Privacy Coalition beg to differ.

Whole body imaging uses millimeter wave technology to scan people from head to toe so airport security can see what is under their clothes. Yes, everything under their clothes. Therein lies the problem.

YouTube humiliation waiting to happen

So some airport staff person gets to spend the day getting an eyeful of soon-to-be-passengers’ naked bodies. Understandably, not everyone out there is cool with this. It could end up being a big pay day for everyone who has been scanned if the Privacy Coalition files a class-action lawsuit.

The Privacy Coalition is made up of 42 privacy advocacy groups banded together with the goal of getting the machines shut down. As you can probably guess, the machines are extremely expensive, and airports that use them are not eager to see all of that money go to waste.  However, Akela Talamaska at Monolith.com points out:

The TSA says that none of the scanning machines are set up for video, but I can virtually guarantee you that sooner or later, you’ll see some of this stuff on YouTube. Even if it’s one guy with a video camera, that’s all it takes.

Lawsuit?

Of course, it will only get more expensive for airlines if the Privacy Coalitions efforts are ignored and the group decides to make it into a lawsuit.

That scenario would end up costing the airports a whole lot more than what they paid for the machines, which cost about $170,000 each. Here are some points of view about this issue from other sources.

More from Monolith:

I’ve never minded submitting to a pat-down when asked; I’d rather people feel secure that I’m not at all a threat. Aside from the fact that I’m leery about the long-term effects of millimeter wave use (how many times has the public been told that something is safe, when years later it’s proven otherwise?), I don’t relish the idea of my naked body being displayed on a terminal somewhere.

From WowOwow.com:

Though some people suggest head-to-toe pat-downs as an alternative, ACLU lawyer Chris Calabrese disagrees: “A choice between being groped and being stripped, I don’t think we should pretend those are the only choices. People shouldn’t be humiliated by their government in the name of security, nor should they trust that the images will always be kept private.”

From CNN:

A big advantage of the technology is the speed, said Jon Allen, another TSA spokesperson, who’s based in Atlanta, Georgia. A body scan takes between 15 and 30 seconds, while a full pat-down can take from two to four minutes. And for those who cringe at the idea of being touched by a security official, or are forever assigned to a pat-down because they had hip replacements, for example, the machine is a quick and easy way to avoid that contact and hassle, he said.

From National Center for Transgender Equality:

NCTE is concerned about sensitivity to transgender bodies which appear on the screen as well as the fact that this policy could essentially require travelers to reveal their unclothed bodies to government employees in order to board an airplane.

From The New Republic journal:

As with any system, there’s the possibility of abuse. But I came away from the (CNN article) impressed by the steps taken thus far to cut down on funny business: images are blurred up, dramatically cutting down on the pervy thrill factor; faces are obscured altogether, making it less likely that such pics could pop up later and embarrass specific individual.