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100 controversial whole body imaging photos revealed
Gadget blog Gizmodo.com has obtained access to 100 images captured by a whole body imaging machine that was installed at a Florida courthouse. We covered the incident back in August, but a Freedom of Information Act request has finally produced the actual photos.
When these machines were installed, we were all told that none of them would actually store photos. As images started leaking out, it became obvious that these claims were of course false. In the video clip created by Gizmodo, you see people occupying the scanner, along with his or her body scan.
There is some good news - as the images clearly show that they don't reveal all that much. People hoping to see clear images of genitalia will be quite disappointed.
Still, it is quite alarming that the images were stored in the first place - though we do need to point out that this particular scanner was not operated by the TSA - it is a millimeter wave scanner, operated by the U.S. Marshals service. Even though the technology and operation is slightly different from the airport machines, the resulting images are very similar.
Of course it also means that despite all the reassurances, the machines are capable of storing photos, and I am confident that it is just a matter of time till an airport is involved in a similar privacy incident.
What do you think? Do these photos make you more or less afraid to use the whole body scanning machines?
| Less afraid - the images don't show much | |
|---|---|
| Still afraid because of radiation risks | |
| More afraid - these images show too much of me | |
| No opinion |
[Image from Gizmodo.com]
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Filed under: North America, United States, Airports, Travel Security
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ptrix Nov 16th 2010 2:43PM
I don't know why anyone would have believed that the images wouldn't have been saved from the very beginning, because the devices would be almost useless if the images couldn't be stored and extracted for use as evidence if needed.
and given the Security Theatre role of the TSA, i'm not surprised that they'd mislead or lie about that in an attempt to convince people that everything is legit...
Lou Nov 16th 2010 4:27PM
just because low res images were saved in this case, it doesn't mean that the people checking the scan are seeing are low res images. everything on the tsa page indicates that they are high res images.
the issue also isn't fear vs not fear or modesty vs not. the core issues are whether or not this is a 'reasonable' search and, perhaps more importantly, does this actually mitigate any threats and is the cost of doing so the best use of limited funding? For example, perhaps instead of scanning passengers, we make sure all cargo is scanned?
A common problem in the technology field is looking at the technology and not at the problem that the technology is supposed to solve. This discussion is another case of that. We aren't focusing on what we are trying to prevent but looking at a microscopic level of an implementation.
Mikeachim Nov 16th 2010 5:28PM
Only kinky if you find Commodore 64 graphics a turn-on.
Regarding PTRIX's point: agreed, storage should never have been questioned. What *is* staggering is that they weren't enormously paranoid about the images getting leaked that it was never allowed to happen. Isn't the situation a PR nightmare waiting to happen, the kind that's so obvious you see it coming as well as with hindsight? Didn't they read the signs? And didn't all the advance controversy etch those sights out in blazing neon?
That's truly staggering.
Mikeachim Nov 16th 2010 5:39PM
...and by that I meant: the developers of the technology. Storage, yes, but removal of those images in any way, no. This technology should be locked down in all sorts of super-zealous ways. The fact these 100 images were presumably exported as JPEGs is surely the problem?
charleskafka Nov 30th 2010 5:02PM
Isn't that an automatic shotgun (the light area on his right (our left) side), by his right hip going down into his crouch area)?
i don't fear for my modesty, (which i never possessed) i now after seeing these pictures fear for TSA's sanity.
so we have things bombarding us with rays that do who knows what to you, and we are unsafer than ever before, because these insaine nitwits, are going to start depending on these stupid pictures, instead of using their heads, experiance, and hearts.
either that or someone is lying like hell.