Steve Robinson

Testing Less Intrusive Full Body Scanners

Some potential tourists eager to take advantage of cheap airplane tickets or cheap vacation packages, are reluctant to fly these days because of privacy concerns over having their private body parts revealed on screens when going through airport full body scanners. 

This impediment to travel may be a worry of the past as a result of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announcement that it is testing a software change that will prevent the display of personal body characteristics while still identifying questionable objects.

Passengers going through the revised scanners are only portrayed as generic human outlines.  Using the new technology security personnel are not able to see the shape or size of questionable objects detected by the scanners. 

If they are carrying an objectionable object, the region of their body where that object resides is highlighted by a box indicating that additional security action is needed.  Screeners viewing passengers carrying no questionable objects see a screen with a green “OK” in the middle.

The TSA believes that this new software will fully address previous privacy concerns.  It is being tested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and Reagan Washington National Airport.

Depending on the success of this test, the new software will be installed in full body scanners already in place in U.S. airports.

This new technology is believed to eliminate the need for American fliers to have to choose between their privacy and security when deciding whether to fly.

Article Tags: Full Body Scanners, Full Body, Body Scanners

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR