The new airport security whole-body imaging technologies can see through clothing to reveal metallic and non-metallic objects, including weapons or plastic explosives. They also reveal a person’s silhouette and the outlines of underwear. The U.S. Transportation Security Agency (TSA) started using whole-body imaging at six airports this year, and plans are in the works to expand it to airports in several more U.S. cities. Some of these new devices intentionally blur facial features, and the security officer viewing images sits in a remote location where he or she cannot identify the passengers. The systems also delete scanned images after the viewings, and have zero storage capability. Some people still feel that body scanners produce graphic images of travelers’ bodies and are an assault on their essential dignity. On the other hand the new screening tech actually proved popular in testing conducted in January 2009. A body scan that leaves no record might be less invasive than background searches which look through computer records containing personal passenger information.

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