Full Body Scan & Safety

Full body scans help detect hidden weapons at airports.

Full body scanners are used by the United States Transportation Security Administration in order to screen passengers for weapons. These scanners are located at security checkpoints at national airports in America. The TSA uses these scanners because they are much more effective than simple metal detectors in discovering potential weapons.

Purpose

After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security was created as a government attempt to neutralize future threats from terrorists. Under the supervision of the DHS, the TSA was created to screen passengers in order to prevent future takeovers of American airplanes. The TSA now uses full body scanners to detect hazardous items that passengers are not allowed to carry onto a airplane.

Types

The TSA uses two types of full body scanning technologies on passengers--backscatter technology and millimeter waves. Backscatter technology uses X-rays in order to create a three dimensional projection on a passenger. Millimeter waves use electromagnetic beams, similar to the scans used on hospital patients, to create an image. Both types of scanning technology produce black and white images.

Safety

Millimeter waves are harmless. Televisions, radios and other electronic devices all transmit electromagnetic signals. Backscatter scanning presents an additional risk, because it uses X-rays in order to create a more detailed image. While individual exposure to X-rays may be low for the average passenger, the impact on frequent travelers is debated. The TSA claims that all full body scanning techniques are safe, meeting Food and Drug Administration standards, as well as satisfying the National Institute for Science and Technology.

Privacy

While the health effects of full body scanning technology are of interest to passengers, the safety of the images taken makes for the greatest concern. Both scanning technologies create a three-dimensional nude image of the passenger. With millimeter wave technology, the image is fairly grainy and low resolution. Backscatter technology creates a much more detailed image of the passenger, which has led to privacy concerns over the technology. The TSA claims that safeguards are in place in order to prevent the scans from being abused by employees.

Considerations

The Transport Security Administration has gone to great lengths to make sure that airports that use full body scanning technology meet Federal guidelines for safety. Risks of radiation are relatively low, similar to the cancer risk from talking on a cell phone. Safeguards such as remote viewing of images, as well as the inability of this imaging technology to print or save scans, provide additional privacy protection.

References

• Transport Security Administration: Imaging Technology
• Department of Homeland Security: Privacy Impact Assessment Update for TSA Whole Body Imaging
• The TSA Blog: Advanced Imaging Technology: "Radiation Risk Tiny"