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Child pornography law may put an end to UK airport x-ray machine plan

by Scott Carmichael (RSS feed) on Oct 16th 2009 at 1:00PM

In the US, full body imaging machines met fairly little resistance. Of course, when something is being done in the name of anti-terrorism, people tend to just go with the flow.

In the UK, similar machines are not being accepted that easily. Manchester airport is the first in the UK to install the machines, and the airport authority issued the same kind of reassuring statements as in the US. Screens will be in a locked room, images will not be stored, and access to the screening equipment is limited.

Those arguments are not enough to satisfy UK civil rights groups. One group has a very strong reason to be against the machines - they are against the law. The UK Protection of Children Act prohibits any kind of naked images being made of children, including those made with backscatter x-ray equipment. Exceptions are only in place for medical imaging.

The images made by these machines are very clear, and show every detail of your body, including your genitals.

According to the group "Action on Rights for Children", the law is so clear, that the airport won't stand a chance of changing it. At the moment, the airport has had to cease screening children with the new equipment.

So, what do you think? Personally I think the risk of a screening agent taking photos of the x-ray monitor with his or her (camera) phone is too great to accept any of their reassuring words. I'm not afraid of photos of my willy showing up somewhere, but I'll not accept the risk of that happening to my child.

I'm sure the vast majority of TSA employees are loyal and trustworthy people, but the risk of running into one bad apple is just too much. Sooner or later someone will violate our trust, and photos of naked children will show up online.

Filed under: Europe, United Kingdom, Airports

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Amy Oct 16th 2009 1:24PM

If children arent screened and everyone else is then any adult whose willing to bring weapons or other harmful things onto the plane will just put them in on the children.

Scott Carmichael Oct 16th 2009 1:24PM

Children will still be screened - it'll just be the "old fashioned" way, using a metal detector.

Pri Oct 16th 2009 1:23PM

What about all harm radiation exposure is doing to people?

Scott Carmichael Oct 16th 2009 1:25PM

Well, "all the research" says it is perfectly safe. Of course, in ten years we may start reading how they were wrong. Sadly you don't have much choice other than to trust the manufacturer and all their research.

pepelaputr Oct 16th 2009 1:42PM

This is going to make it easier for someone to sneak something on the plane with one of those super realistic sleeping baby dolls. But seriously, nothing is more injurious to a child then being blown to little bits by a parent wanting to give god or allah another little angel in the name of their chosen cause.

Mike J Oct 16th 2009 6:12PM

I am ok with everyone being scanned, however the cell phone thing is a valid point. so why not ban any recording devices, from the monitor room, have a locker for anyone assigned to the room so they can store there equipment during duty.

Frank Oct 30th 2009 9:03PM

Since when is a naked picture of a child child pornography? I think you will find that the law is very clear in this, the naked picture of a child needs to be obscene in order to be illegal, it is not enough to say "is naked" to gain a conviction.

Having said that, I think those scanners should be banned on privacy grounds.