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EPIC wants TSA to halt implementation of body scanners at airports

Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) President Marc Rotenberg along with Ralph Nader requesting that body scanner technology be halted until several health, safety and privacy issues are resolved.
Written by Doug Hanchard, Contributor

In a letter sent to the White House, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) President Marc Rotenberg, along with Ralph Nader, request that body scanner technology be halted until several health, safety and privacy issues are resolved.

Body scanner devices have been deployed at 18 different airports in the U.S. and should be implemented at all international airports by the end of this year. One of the key concerns EPIC has is privacy and how images could be stored. The same issues were raised in Canada during pilot testing of similar body scanning devices. In a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), investigators asked many of the same questions EPIC is concerned with.

Canada's Privacy Commissioner was satisfied when Transport Canada and CATSA, the equivalent to TSA's responsibility for airport security, assured the Commissioner that security personnel looking at the images were not in the same area or room as the individual going through the scanner, and could not reference even where in the airport the person was.

Additional resources:

Human x-ray machines: Coming soon to an airport near you

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