TSA Finishes Removing "Virtual Nude" X-Ray Devices From US Airports 172
dsinc writes "The Transportation Security Administration announced it has finished removing from all airports the X-ray technology that produced graphic and controversial images of passengers passing through security screening checkpoints. The machines, which the TSA first deployed in 2008, provoked public outrage as the technology, better able than traditional X-rays to detect hidden contraband, also created images that appeared as if they were 'virtual nudes.' Critics called this an invasion of privacy and questioned whether the scanning devices truly lacked the ability to save the images, as the TSA claimed."
Misleading summary, as usual (Score:5, Interesting)
The scanners are still there. They still get the digital data of a virtual nude. They just pass that through an algorithm that replaces the image with a stick figure before the image is shown to the operator.
The government still gets the detailed biometric identifying information it wants, the digital 3d model of your nude body still gets stored in the databases they deny exist. They just don't show it to the operator now, so everyone feels better.
Better name: Radiation Scanners (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't care that much about the "Virtual Nude" thing. (Although I might care more if I were an attractive young female, I guess.)
My objection to the thing is the X-ray radiation. I am by no means convinced these things are safe.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=us-glossed-over-cancer-concerns [scientificamerican.com]
Four doctors from the University of California, San Francisco wrote an open letter expressing their grave concerns based on their expertise. They listed dangers of these scanners and requested to see the safety studies and get access to the raw data of the safety studies; they also asked for the names of the people who conducted the safety studies. The government's answer boiled down to "our experts have studied this and it's safe". Completely non-responsive to the listed concerns and not sharing any data.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126833083 [npr.org]
So I never yet have let them scan me; I always have requested the pat-down. When they ask if I would prefer it in private, I tell them no. I'd rather the patdown be out in the open where anyone could watch. I have no particular reason to think any TSA agent would give me extra trouble in private, but I'd prefer as much publicity as possible.
I guess millimeter wave isn't ionizing radiation? That's a giant improvement right there. Maybe the new machines are safe? Safer, anyway.
Re:Waste of money (Score:2, Interesting)
half? all.
The DHS needs to go, the TSA needs to go along with it as well as the other bloat in the government.
As of 3/2001 there were 2,697,602 employees in the Federal Government (682K National Defense/Relations) with a monthly payroll of $11.4B/month.
As of 3/2011 (latest month available) there were 2,854,251 federal employees not including 192,845 in the DHS (including Coast Guard/TSA etc.) For a total of 3,047,096 with a monthly payroll of $17.2B/month. That's a 13% increase in personnel and a payroll increase of 50% in 10 years despite having gone through the worst recession in memory. I'm trying to think if my income has gone up 50% in the last 10 years. Wait, no, it hasn't I'm sure of it.
True, if I looked at all of those engineers and technicians layed-off at NASA because of the Shuttle shutdown these numbers would be a little less but still it's mind boggling how big the bureacracy has grown. A lot of that was under Bush but a lot was under Obama as well. I won't get into their productive value on the economy but in order to solve the problems we have with government bloat is to vote out all members of congress over the next three election cycles. Why? It's the only way to clean house and get some new people in there who don't behold to old party alliances and financial backers who push legislation through the side door. After all, the president has no spending authority, it comes from congress. The president can move funds around once he has them, but the checkbook is in the hands of guys like this. [wikipedia.org] or this [buzzfeed.com], or this. [youtube.com] Frankly, I could point to any member of congress and see that their self-indulgent morons who have one goal: to maintain power and get re-elected and fuck the rest of the people in the country.
Re:Better name: Radiation Scanners (Score:4, Interesting)
The other thing I've noticed is if you travel with young children they take you out of line and directly to the magnetic scanner. Not just your child and one parent but your entire family. For me it was four adult family members along with my 4yr old - no extra pat down needed.
in summary - the body scanners cannot be completely safe and they know it.
Re:Analog hole (Score:5, Interesting)
Of course it was Bullshit. The spec documents the TSA put out for the machines specifically required them to be able to save and transmit the images!
Google for 'epic tsa spec', and find this: http://epic.org/open_gov/foia/TSA_Procurement_Specs.pdf [epic.org]
(Not to mention, how'd they get the sample images they show on TSA.gov, if the machines cannot save and transfer images??)