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airports testing full body scanners Melbourne:
Some American airports are using whole body scanners at security checkpoints,
which can penetrate people's clothing. Developed by New York-based L3 Communications,
the scanner has become a cause of concern, with reports suggesting that even underwear
is visible in the scans. Due to this ability of the novel scanner, it is being
likened to scanners on the 1990 science fiction film Total Recall, which revealed
the bodies of Mars-bound passengers beneath their clothing. Passengers boarding
planes are asked to remove metal items, jackets, and shoes before stepping into
a small glass chamber. They then lift their arms over their heads for about three
seconds before the scan. The sensors can detect part of the electromagnetic spectrum
that emits energy from the body at wavelengths of one millimetre. Given that the
energy from a human body is radiated at a higher rate than plastic, metal and
ceramic, the unit can reveal those objects. The faces of the scanned passengers
are blurred, and the images are not stored. However, the American Civil Liberties
Union considers this technology to be very intrusive because it can project images
of mastectomies and catheter tubes. According to the Daily Telegraph, the Transportation
and Security Administration has placed the scanners in airports in Salt Lake City,
Las Vegas, Miami, San Fransisco, Tulsa, Okla and Albuquerque, in a pilot program.
It is currently a voluntary system. -Apr
1, 2009
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