Airport Body Scanners and Personal Privacy Essay - 1810 Words

Airport Body Scanners and Personal Privacy Believe it or not, there was a time when passengers showed up an hour before their flights and walked directly to their assigned gates without taking off their shoes at a security screening station or throwing away their bottles of water. There was even a time when friends and family met passengers at the gate and watch their flights take off or land without having a ticket or identification†¦and that was only ten years ago. Air travel safety precautions changed dramatically after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that targeted passenger planes in the United States and killed well over 1,000 people. Precautions continue to evolve as new threats are detected and passengers are now concerned†¦show more content†¦In 2009, a man on a flight from the Netherlands to Detroit attempted to blow up a plane with explosives in his underwear. Although the body scanners were in the United States at the time, they were not in the Neth erlands. Passengers argue that no matter how many security measures are put in place, terrorists will find a new and innovative way to cause destruction. They claim that the only guarantee the body scanners can make is violation of privacy for innocent people. Privacy issues often become a heated debate in a country like the United States of America, which was founded on the basic principle of freedom. Passengers are outraged that officials are viewing nude images of their bodies. They are rebelling against intrusive pat-downs and demanding better solutions. The TSA takes all of these concerns under consideration and has made admirable efforts to ensure privacy, as well as to clarify points used in arguments against the new screenings. For example, the TSA has established strict guidelines regarding the images received by the body scanners. Images of women are only viewed by female agents and images of men are only viewed by male agents. The agents viewing the images are in a separate, secure room and never see the passengers they are viewing on screen. According to TSA’s privacy policy, â€Å"The two officers communicate via wirelessShow MoreRelatedAirport Security: Why Safety Is More Important Than Privacy1453 Words   |  6 Pages Airport Security: Why Safety Is More Important than Privacy Since September 11th, people have become concerned about airport security. The millimeter body scanner is one of the outcomes of people’s concerns. The scanner creates a full body image that can reveal any suspicious element that may be concealed on their person. While this type of image can calm some fears, the scanner is now a controversial issue. Arguments for each side focus on two main areas: privacy and safety. 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