Gadling’s been following the slow implementation of so-called “whole body imaging” machines at US airports for some time now.
Machines have been either installed or are coming soon to Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Las Vegas, Reagan National, JFK, LAX, Baltimore, Denver and Albuquerque.
To review, these machines use pretty strong x-ray technology, where millimeter waves are bounced off a passenger’s body, producing a very accurate image of his or her body without clothes. The goal, of course, is to get a better view of whether a passenger is concealing something at security.
Not surprisingly, the American Civil Liberties Union has been all over this one, saying the technology at the very least should be a last resort, used only when a passenger qualifies for an intrusive search.
The ACLU has some allies on the other side of the Atlantic.
The European Union has suggested that it would go along with the machines in its own airports. But this week, a group of EU lawmakers brought the matter back for debate, objecting to the scanners for much the same reason that the ACLU does: It violates the privacy of passengers.
One British MP called it a “virtual strip search,” according to the Associated Press.
It’s hard to say just how many EU lawmakers are against the machines, but Brussels is continuing to debate the program.
The European Commission, which is the executive branch of the EU, said on Tuesday that the legislation it is considering that would install these machines at airports respects established EU safety and privacy rules.
The body scanners were installed in Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport last year, and few passengers reportedly complained, instead liking the speed at which lines moved because of them.
I personally think that that argument will eventually propel these machines into wider use. More travelers are likely to be happy about quicker lines and not having to remove shoes, coats, etc. than be concerned whether some security worker is going to see what kind of underwear they have on.
This is especially true in Europe, as Europeans in my experience have considerably less modestly issues than Americans.