U.S. Airports Expand Full-Body Screening

Igniting criticism by privacy advocates around the world, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is in the process of installing 450 full-body X-ray scanning machines in the country’s airports. The machines show images of hidden objects, as well as passengers’ bodies through their clothes. —JCL

Reuters:

Airport officials on Friday showed off new X-ray scanning machines they will use to screen more passengers with full-body imaging as called for by security advocates, a step that has alarmed civil libertarians.

The $170,000 machines made by a unit of OSI Systems Inc show guards images of passengers’ bodies through their clothes to reveal hidden objects.

Three to be activated on Monday at Boston’s Logan International Airport will be the first of 150 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials hope to deploy in the next few months using funds from last year’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the stimulus.

The agency aims to have 450 advanced scanners at airports by the end of the year.

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U.S. Department of Homeland Security