Welp, didnt see that one coming.

Federal agencies keep hold of images from airport bodyscanners, despite promising they wouldnt.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20012583-281.html

http://techdirt.com/articles/20100805/02224910503.shtml

And as an example of how visible this makes your bits to the guy sitting behind a screen:

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

From: http://www.worldculturepictorial.com/blog/content/full-body-scanner-imposes-indecency-displaying-form



With all the shit that's been going on with security in the airline industry, I'm quite glad I haven't been overseas in a while.

The problem with that picture is that is a fake. Part of a French campaign against the scanner.
Trying to debunk something with an hoax is not always the smart thing to do.

Source for your claim?

lets not waste my time and give me your source that that is a body scanner picture.

Broken link in the OP. the last one should be:

http://www.worldculturepictorial.com/blog/content/full-body-scanner-imposes-indecency-displaying-form-

I was missing a hyphen.

nice try, but says nothing about that picture as being a real full body scanner.

I'll give you a clue. Full body scanners are X-Raxs. X-Rays are not negative pictures, are totally different. That is a model for a french campaign.

http://justgetthere.us/blog/archives/DISINFORMATION-Inverted-Body-Scanner-Image-Shows-Naked-Body-In-Full-Living-Color.html

actual source of the woman's image is from a royalty free cd:
http://www.f1online.de/f1online/index.cfm?location=search&colNo=2274&language=1

Eh, ok.

Still kinda missing the point that records have been kept of not-too-dissimilar images of people. Its millimeter-wavelength technology, easily able to define genitals. I dont know about you, but I dont particularly like the idea of images of my naked body being kept on government-sanctioned file.

The big picture.Though, I have to admit I was initially duped by this as well. I thought they'd simply made serious advances in the image quality of the technology. This is more along the lines of what the pictures will look like: While I do believe that with time the image quality will improve, without having the computer insert false-colors, it will never come close to yielding photograph quality pictures.

I absolutely understand the invasion-of-privacy concerns, and I'm sure someone with more legal scholarship than me can explain why it's unconstitutional, but a small part of me feels like saying: You know what, it's just a naked body, chill out. Having said that, I do realize that with the prevalence of camera-phones and perverts, pictures of people are guaranteed to escape beyond the control of the FAA, which is absolutely unacceptable.

If the FAA is gonna invest money into sophisticated electronics, I'd prefer they install more walk-through explosives detectors instead of back-scatter x-ray machines.

-ReAct
"EDIT: Fixer is faster on the draw."

thank you sir.

The X-Rays are invasive and I don't see how they work better than a metal detector. If you beep you get patted down, what the fuck.

Note that there are two different types of scanners in use at airports:

Millimeter wave and x-ray backscatters. They produce different images.

reprint of CNN article

The ACLU has an article depicting images from both types of scanners - millimeter wave generated images are considerably more detailed, as shown. Neither looks like the photo the OP put up.

ACLU article

They treat people like cattle, walk through this machine, you're naked before a stranger, you do not matter, your humanity is reduced to nothing, NEXT!

Maybe a little over the top but that's how the thought of it makes me feel.

Unless I'm mistaken, I think you have the option to an alternative scanning and search procedure instead of the full body scan imaging. However, option or not, it's still creepy as fuck.

Also, regarding the fake image and story. According to fixer's disinformation link, the story and photoshopped image originated on Alex Jones' Infowars / Prison Planet... Need I say more?

And you know, when folks like me say there are all sorts of government shenanigans and such, we're called bullshit artists.

I mean, half of what I say is bullshit anyway, I'll give you that - but yeah, saw that one coming. It's why Muslims have banned Muslims going through them.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/11/airport-body-scanner-fatw_n_459352.html

It is shitty, but it is also something I can live with. There are different kinds of nakedness, and while I am not one to post pics of my genitals on the net, as I just don't feel like putting that in the public domain, I don't really care if there is one of these scans showing the outline of said genitals out there.

Context is important. I'm normally pretty creeped out by an old man fondling my testicles, but within the context of a physical exam performed by a doctor, ok, If these images are saved somewhere, they should be honest about the fact that they're doing it. I still don't understand why they would do it and and empathize with the many people are really upset by the whole situation.

I have heard that too. At LAX I had read a story, I am trying to find it, that by next year your have to do either the complete search or the scanning.

Its already enough of a hassle going through security. This will just make it worse.

Totally seconded.
People are not luggage. I understand the "Security Concerns" and all that jazz, but in my opinion, as a nation and as a planet our fears have been exploited to justify these kind of things. That's not right.

Another question, do they scan children? If they do that is a cluster fuck of problems waiting to happen. I wouldn't let any person scan my eight year old niece. Period, Especially knowing that people have saved these images.

It't not fair for people to expect others to be comfortable with this, it's a complete violation of privacy, and an unnecessary one.

That's great for you and all, but what about the person with a colostomy bag, the guy who got the penile implant after prostate cancer surgery, or the woman with a mastectomy wearing a breastform? Why should their condition be broadcast in detail to strangers?

I have no idea if the option is available (it probably is if you make a fuss) and I also don't know if I've passed through airports where this system is operational. I probably have, considering I've been through so many in the last couple of years. (Also, there have been kids and elderly people and all sorts in the same line as me, so if those machines WERE scanning us, then the kids were scanned too) But I've never had anyone offer me the option of an alternative scan, so I guess I'd have had to step out of the line and talk to security about it.

I wouldn't do that, though. I'm scared of airport security.

Edit; Okay, by the looks of it I have gone through airports where the system was operational, but I've never been through the scanner. So do they take people to the scanner if they keep setting off the normal metal detectors?

That's not an option here, if you're asked to go through the scanner you have to or you don't fly. That rule applies to anyone, even children.

I went through one of these at Schiphol Airport. They asked if I would submit to being scanned. I said that I would rather not be scanned. They got grim and said my other option was a strip search. So, I got scanned.

Hey, Alex Jones has a microphone so I got to take his word on it.

Did they let you see the picture of yourself?