May 18, 2009 11:16 pm US/Eastern
Total Body Scans At Airports Cause Controversy
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
Is it a necessary form of security or an invasion of your privacy? A debate is brewing over airports using total body scans, which take a picture of you right through your clothes.
Kai Jackson reports the scans are used at BWI.
The technology can detect weapons, bombs, and other threats that could be concealed under clothes without any physical contact.
"This technology is 100% optional to all passengers. TSA takes great strides to ensure the privacy of the public is protected and works closely with privacy groups. TSA is committed to protecting the privacy of the traveling public, which is why we maintain strict privacy safeguards," said Lauren Gaches. "In order to keep passengers' safe, TSA uses whole body imaging technology to stay ahead of evolving threats that are not identified by metal detectors."
But some say it's an invasion of privacy.
"A choice between being groped and being stripped, I don't think we should pretend those are the only choices," said Chris Calabrese, a lawyer with the ACLU. "People shouldn't be humiliated by their government."
Gaches says the picture is viewed by a security guard in a remote location and the people's faces are blurred.
The technology is also at Reagan National Airport in DC.
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