The release of the full body scanners has drove to a series of controversial opinions. However, the machine has a good side and a bad one.

A pro would be that the use of the full body scanners in the airports has increased a lot the safety of the passengers and the crew. As it detects anything you can imagine, the full body scanner was installed especially for detecting illegal substances or weapons that passengers may carry with them on the plane. If you think of it like a matter of national and even international security, the whole world benefits from the use of full body scanners in airports. After the terrorist attack from September 11, 2001, people have lost their faith in airports and have become hesitant when traveling by plane. In order to get that trust back, the airline companies pleaded for the use of the full body scanners.

However, not many countries can afford to install these modern, but expensive equipments. Understanding the risks that the world is facing, the most powerful and influential countries did not hesitate is purchasing full body scanners. Soon, the other countries followed, so that now it is quite hard to find an airport which is not fully equipped with this system.

The main issue concerning the population is the invasion of privacy that the full body scanners involve. This is a serious con against using this system and many complaints were registered. People are unhappy with the fact that the full body scanners reveal every single part of the body, so they feel uncomfortable when walking through them. In countries with strict rules and a more rigorous mentality front-page scandals have risen, due to the fact that the full body scanner reveals if a person is transsexual. Other problems involved sexual harassment charges. Women complained about the power abuse of the airport agents.

You can either be pro or con the use of the full body scanners in airports, but less and less complaints have been registered and people started to get used to this machine. They are now aware of the importance that this break-through in technology has regarding the safety of the world.

There has been a raging controversy surrounding full body scanners in airports in the U.S and all over the world including in certain European countries. One of the prime complaints from people who oppose these machines is that they violate people’s privacy by forcing them to walk through revealing specific details regarding their body, including the genital area. A lot of people, mostly women, have filed complaints against certain TSA agents for abuse of power relating to the X-RAY machine which some claim is a clear violation of civil liberties. Those who support the implementation of these machines say that they are a necessity when it comes to protecting the country and individuals.

The TSA official position has been very similar to many Americans who do not like the idea of the scanners but feel that they are a necessary tool in fight against terrorism. So far there has not been one recorded incident of an actual terrorist being caught by one of these machines, but the TSA insists that they are still important because they could save lives in the future. The machine would detect if someone was hiding a weapon such as a knife or gun somewhere on or in their person that could be used against the pilot in the plane or passengers. Full body scanners have seemed to divide people on two sides, those who strongly oppose them and those who support them for purposes of maintaining homeland security.

Since Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to detonate a bomb hidden in the crotch of his pants on an Amsterdam to Detroit flight on Christmas Day, 2009, there has been a lot of talk about full body scanners at airports. Full body scanners, proponents argue, have the technology to reveal the kind of explosives Abdulmutallab was packing.

In the United States, several companies are set to manufacture full body scanners:

American Science and Engineering

AS&E was founded in 1958 as a developer for NASA but quickly spread its wings into the security business. AS&E’s scanner is called SmartCheck. It boasts safe technology and offers an optional privacy feature that provides only outlines of the subject’s body as opposed to a

photographic quality image.

Rapsican Systems

The California-based Rapsican Systems underwent some embarrassment in 2010 when they were found to have a business relationship with former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. Conflicts of interest aside, Rapsican’s WaveScan 200 claims to protect privacy by obscuring private anatomical features. It also emits no radiation.

L-3 Communications

L-3 Communications is the sixth largest defense contractor in the United States. The L-3 Provision Millimeter Wave does not use radiation or x-rays to obtain its images. It produces 3-D black and white silhouettes of its subjects. On the L-3 website, corporate executives promise “multiple levels of privacy protection” but are vague as to what these entail.

Smiths Detection

This company’s full body scan is called the IONSCAN Sentinel II. It operates a little differently from other types of scanners in that it uses puffs of air to dislodge particles trapped in the hair and on the clothes and body. These particles are then analyzed for dangerous or illegal substances such as explosives or narcotics.

It seems clear that full body scanners are the security wave of the future. Several companies stand ready to produce scanners to help enhance airport security.

With recent Christmas attempt to attack the United States by terrorists and their cohorts planning much more than a simple plane explosion, there are many people who say that the technology of full body scanning is necessary. However, there are also many other people who say that it is a step too far and that it is an infringement on privacy rights with some going as far as calling it illegal as far as child pornography laws are concerned (UK). Despite all of these concerns and the disapproval by the public, the TSA has decided to go through with their plans to install this technology at every airport.

One way in which the TSA has attempted to make this sort of technology an “improvement” is by allowing those selected for full body scans to decline. Unfortunately, should you be chosen and decline, you will then be required to undergo a full body pat down by a TSA officer. This may be appealing to some people, but more likely, it won’t matter which you choose, you will be embarrassed and may feel violated. This has led several people and groups to lobby against their use to their congressmen.

Nevertheless, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. These strip searches, that are beginning to look as though they will become the standard for airport security screening processes, are completely virtual. When you go through the machine the image that it produces is fairly grainy and integrated software is in place to ensure that your face and sensitive areas are blurred out. Because of their usefulness, the TSA has secured (at least the funding) for 450 more scanners. While some people say that this is too far and that people must begin to stand up for their rights, the TSA stands by their belief that this will be an effective tool to help fight terrorism.

Many people who have been watching the world unfold into a new and terrified place, have demanded more security. This security has come in more stringent legislation, advancing technologies to further the ability of certain people to identify threats more easily and even more overall security presence that has been hired. Even with all of these advancements to help create a safer environment for travelers, there have been people still wanting more.

In the last few months the idea of a full body scanner has come to most airports attention. These scanners work in much the same was as an x-ray machine in that they send certain frequencies of radio waves or x-rays at an object to get an idea about the shape and density of the object. For many people these seem like a great idea, however, there are many more that are concerned about further invasion of privacy at airports and in any other venue that chooses to pursue these technologies. Because of the recent debate about privacy, the few manufacturers of body scanners, like L3 Communications Holdings Inc., have had several software companies develop specific programs for their machines. With the use of these programs most, if not all, identifiable characteristics can be eliminated from the scanned image.

American Science and Engineering Inc. has also been a front runner in developing this technology to help identify threats in a more accurate manner. Unfortunately, American Science and Engineering, Rapiscan, GE and L3 are the only companies that have the current capabilities to meet the needs of the TSA for security purposes and may all be used in varying parts of the country. This means the costs of these machines will remain relatively high over the next few years and the tax payers (through the TSA) will need to pay for them.