The TSA scanners are presented to the public as a tool for detecting weapons and other contraband, but I think this is actually a secondary goal and a bit of misdirection. Think about what those scans actually are.<p>They're biometrics. They take precise measurements of a person's shape, which is sufficient to detect if someone is traveling under a false name, and they're building a database of those biometrics to have available for use elsewhere. If the scan's result is ambiguous, they swab your hands and stick the swab in a machine, supposedly to detect residue from explosives but with the nice side-effect of producing a stored DNA sample for later use. They've proven pretty useless for controlling the flow of contraband, but they're quite useful for catching fugitives. While the people staffing the checkpoints aren't particularly smart, it's reasonable to assume that the people at the top are pretty clever, and their policies are consistent with this having been the real goal all along.<p>If they tried collecting fingerprints from travelers, they would get a very strong backlash. This way, they get a weaker backlash and some jokes about how stupid they are for using machines that can't reliably detect guns.
Man that's annoying. I don't feel like these scanners have been impartially vetted by the medical community and while they are potentially safe, it's going to be a bummer to finally be forced through one.
I broadly oppose security theater in all its forms, especially when it does nothing to improve actual security - and none of the naked scanners used by the TSA have been shown to be effective.<p>The only real argument in their favor is that it's so easy to use that there is no reason <i>not</i> to use them - but even <i>that</i> isn't true. It's trivial to show that even if they were nearly foolproof that they <i>still</i> wouldn't be worth using. There are so many airline passengers that the prior probability that an individual traveler has malicious intent means that virtually all alerts will be false positives. It is pointless to violate the privacy of everyone when the benefits are so minimal.
Can we get some blog posts and discussions about how single individuals can put together such a beautifully branded and effective civil rights advocacy program, without a bloated nonprofit organization attached? This is a powerful weapon against tyranny
Interesting.<p>I opted out this morning. I have friends on flight crews who opt out (either by KCM or by the freedom frisk) and I haven't heard anyone in my circles complain about it on Facebook.
Here is the excerpt from the DHS document:<p>Individuals undergoing screening using AIT generally will have the option to decline an AIT screeningin favor of physical screening. Given the implementation of ATR and the mitigation of privacy issues associated with the individual image generated by previous versions of AIT not using ATR, and the need to respond to potential security threats, TSA will nonetheless mandate AIT screening for some passengers as warranted by security considerations in order to safeguard transportation security.
December 2016 prediction: TSA PreCheck (including the $100+ fee) will become mandatory as well. You can always take a bicycle to your destination if you disagree.
The same scanners that proved to be inefficient?! I will definitely fly less then and will consider other means of transportation. It's better for the environment as well.