'Don't touch my junk' shows tech limits

We have reached a limit in the acceptable use of technology to make us secure.

As Unisys reports that Kiwis and Australians are happy to use facial, iris and fingerprint recognition, in America a major storm has developed, a storm that brings a clear message to our own governments.

"Don't touch my junk!" has become the rallying cry of offended passengers, who are outraged at the insensitive groping of US airport security staff, along with the use of scanners whose pictures leave very little to the imagination.

You might remember a scene in the classic Schwarzeneggar movie Total Recall where Arnie and others, plus a dog, went through a biometric scanner and you saw just their skeletons.

Well, never mind the 2080s, today's technical reality seems more advanced than 1990s science fiction.

Today's actual devices can reveal the size of one's naughty bits, along with details of any plastic surgery.

No wonder passengers are angry at scanners revealing such blatant and embarrassing nakedness.

US airports have so clearly crossed the line between decency and invasion of privacy.

We will happily accept scans of our irises; We accept facial recognition. Biometric fingerprinting is also fine. Such systems have been in use for some time or are imminent ; They're a convenient and acceptable way to verify one's identity.

Of course, the body scanners are there to provide security in an age of terror.

When we have had hijacked planes crashing into towers, people hiding bombs in their shoes or underpants, then naturally, we have to see what we can do to prevent further atrocities.

Well, El Al, an Israeli airline, is having "="" class="c-regularLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">success with another method. Rather than strip-search passengers, its security staff (which include former soldiers) quiz passengers and analyse their behaviour. To date, this seems to have worked, with no El Al plane reportedly being hijacked. In other words, they use more human intelligence and intuition, rather than invasive technology against every customer.

As a US congressman announces a Bill to maintain the 'dignity' of airline passengers, there seems a clear message here for our own governments, that there is a limit to what the public will accept when it comes to technological security.