Whole Body Scanner - Term Paper Example

 Whole Body Scanner Abstract Airport security has now become the top priority of every government and new technology is being implemented and used to help staff to prevent any unsavory situation. However, the scanners that are now being used for scanning purposes are in the centre of a much heated debate over their usefulness and need as they cross certain boundaries with regards to privacy and health related issues. This paper looks to discuss these new machines and their impact and repercussions. Whole Body Scanner Airplane passenger screening had not changed for a long time but the events that occurred on 11th of September 2001 caused a drastic change in the airplane security planning. In the past screening were more focused on passengers entering the lounges and so on with detectors specified to detect metallic objects and x-ray machines used to scan the items for carry-on purposes (Elias, 2010). After the terrorist attacks taking place from time to time and after the recent attack in the Russian airport there has been a growing need to improve security. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) under the U.S Department of Homeland Security has had to face a number of barriers in order to make their screening process more effective. Airport traffic has been on the increase for a long time and screening processes make it cumbersome for the passengers. There also needs to be a balance between the needs of the passengers and the security. Scares continue to take place even now as with the happening on 25th December 2009 when a Nigerian man attempted to ignite an explosive device while on board a plane heading to Detroit (O’Connor & Schmitt, 2009). Airports across the world are looking towards new technology to help security staff catch suspicious people and detect object deemed illegal on flights now. The problems that arise out of these technological advancements in airports are many such as privacy concerns, health concerns and subjection of minors to the scanning. On the other hand such technology can prove helpful in foiling terrorist plans, so there needs to be a weighing of the harms and benefits. Imaging technology has been bought and installed in the various airports all across the United States. According to the TSA there are two types of imaging technology that is being used, the millimeter wave and the backscatter x-ray. As of now, according to the TSA, there are 486 of these imaging devices that are being used across 78 airports in the United States (Transportation Security Administration). The millimeter wave scanner is used to scan the whole body and is used in the detection of objects that may be concealed in or under a person’s clothing. The millimeter scanner is cylindrical in shape with panels which contain scanners in them that rotate around the individual and produces an image of the individual. The scanner emits radio waves that pass through an individuals clothing’s and then returns an image of what is beneath the clothes. The scanner comes back with a picture of the human body which is generally what the security personnel hope to see, however, if other items are seem on the scanner then this may well be a reason for unease. The scanner does not take up too much time to do its job. The millimeter scanner produces a 3D image of the person being scanned that can be rotated and zoomed if the need be. The other scanner in use is the backscatter scanner which is what passengers in the United States will see more often. This scanner consists of two boxes opposite to each other with enough space for a person to stand in between them. These boxes take x-rays of the person in a time of about twenty seconds. The electromagnetic waves that are being emitted by the boxes are absorbed by the body but if there are any foreign bodies present on the person then these will show on the scans. There are some concerns that the waves being emitted are a form of radiation and may be dangerous for a person. This scanner takes a 2D image of the scanned person (Cynthia, 2010). The use of such technology for the purpose of security can greatly help to improve the situation. Scanners such as the two mentioned above help authorities to be able to observe the human body without the clothing and this helps to detect and pick up on objects that would otherwise be missed by a pat-down. Not only is this but the whole body scanned in a matter of seconds making the entire process easy and effective at the same time. It also helps to avoid contact for those who do not wish to be patted down due to personnel reasons. Scanning technology may also be a faster way to get through security for passengers rather than going through the pat-down which has become a long and tedious process due to the new rules put down by the TSA. There are certainly alternatives for those who do have objections to the idea of being scanned. Some of these hesitations may stem from the cultural and religious backgrounds of passengers which is why pat-downs are still provided as an option. However, pat-downs involve touching the body and in the case of scanners the face of the individual is blurred by the software so they can’t be recognized which is not the case when it comes to the pat-downs. Plus, this method of checking may not effectively be able to detect any objects of materials around the genitals or the buttocks region. Dogs are also alternatives but again there are issues for certain people of such a method of checking. Those who have certain medical conditions what do not allow them to be scanned can very well ask for an alternative to the scanners and are also provided options. Individuals with pacemakers and other such equipment are recommended to refer to their doctors before going into a scanner while those who are in wheelchairs can opt out of scanning and go through pat-downs. While the scanners are a good way to improve security there are certainly downsides to their introduction such as the economic considerations that need to be looked at. There are over 18000 airports in the United States alone and this may well show the large amount of money that will need to be pumped into the security that will be needed at each of these airports. All across the United States the lanes for security checkpoints keeps on increasing due to the influx of passengers each year and inversely the time taken for a security check-up keeps on taking longer and longer. The body scanners that airports now wish to employ in their own security systems come at a hefty price of about $100,000 each and can go even higher in cases (Elias, 2010). An entire system may go well over the price tag of $200,000. The normal metal detectors that are still used in certain airports are a lot cheaper than these scanners and do not consume as much energy either leading to cost saving in the energy bill. These metal detectors also take a lot less a time to scan an individual than the body scanners which need a minimum time of twenty seconds to do a scan and are not compatible for all passengers, especially those with specific medical conditions. The amount needed for an upgrade of the entire airport security system across any country would need a lot of money to be pumped into the industry, something that a struggling economy such as that of the United States is not capable of doing at the moment. Furthermore (Knox, 2010), if the use to this technology continues then there will be a jam at the security checkpoints which is something that should be avoided and more checkpoints will need to be established which will again cost the airport money, something that all industries are tight on. A momentous backlash has come forth after the introduction of the backscatter scanner due to the emission of low doses of x-ray that it uses for the purpose of scanning. This has caused concern among the public that this dosage of radiation can be a cause of cancer in the future. Though the TSA has sought to put aside this assumption by making a statement stating that the level of radiation that passengers are exposed to its miniscule and not more than what people are exposed to on a daily basis. Hence there are remote chances that they will develop cancer as a result of these scans. However, the Allied Pilots Association has called for their pilots to opt out of this scanning process and go for a pat-down instead in order to avoid the extra radiation. The association claims that pilots are already exposed to radiation when flying and these scanning exposes pilots to radiation unnecessarily (Knox, 2010). Privacy is something that all individuals take seriously and the fact that these new scanners provide the security personnel with a “naked” image of the human body is something of a concern. The scanning goes against the basic right to privacy and is considered by many as an invasion while critics argue that steps can be taken to secure an airport without scanning an individual and put up an image of their body on a screen to observe. What’s more troubling is that no one is spared from this scrutiny, even minors and the elderly are made to go through the process and there is a clear violation of the ethical and cultural boundaries of individuals from different backgrounds. Then again the proponents argue in their favor by stating that the life of a human being is a lot more important than the privacy of another and so looking at the bigger picture all are justified. Not only that, the system can be looked into to make the faces of the person obscured which can make people feel that they are not being identified. Airport security personnel and the TSA also state that the scanning process is choice and not an obligation. Those who are against the process are welcome to go through the other alternative methods of processing but it is argues that they are more intrusive than the scanning. The scanning issue has also hit bumps along the way when it comes to the legal outlook of the process. When it comes to the images of minors being put up on the screens for scanning many critics argue that it is the equivalent of child pornography. Hence the scanning would be in direct conflict with the laws of the land that have been passed specifically to protect minors from exploitation and pornography. Fear also exists that some may make use of the scanned pictures of minors by displaying the pictures over the internet as pornography which would be counterproductive in the protection of children. But if a process is established that would look to avoid a screening of minors then terrorists may well use minors to carry dangerous materials through security knowing full well that they won’t be screened. Skepticism still remains as parents feel uneasy about letting their children go through the scanners and at times the child themselves may not feel at ease with it. Airport security is now of utmost importance as airports not only look to avoid any mishap on their own ground but the scanning of passengers and screening of baggage’s and various other checks help to keep the destination airports safe as well. It can be considered to be a chain process that needs to be supported and stringently maintained in order to avoid mishaps. Scanning technology has had a lot of support from the government and other institutions but passengers may not take too well to them but that is not something that can be considered all the time, especially when security has become necessity. Those who are not in favor of the extreme measures to ensure the safety on flights should concede the point that these processes have helped security staff at various airports find a number of concealed items on individuals that were not permissible on flights. Unless some other method of scanning passengers can be introduced that is as less intrusive to the personnel space of the individual as well as addressing health and privacy and legal concerns, this is the best that we have and it should not be criticized. References Cynthia. (2010, January 5). Full-Body Scanners 101: The Two Types and How They Work. Retrieved February 8, 2011, from Jaunted: http://www.jaunted.com/story/2010/1/5/163631/3181/travel/Full-Body+Scanners+101:+The+Two+Types+and+How+They+Work Elias, B. (2010). Airport Passenger Screening: Background and Issues for Congress. DIANE Publishing. Knox, R. (2010, November 12). Protests Mount Over Safety And Privacy Of Airport Scanners. Retrieved February 8, 2011, from NPR: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/11/12/131275949/protests-mount-over-safety-and-privacy-of-airport-scanners O’Connor, A., & Schmitt, E. (2009, December 25). Terror Attempt Seen as Man Tries to Ignite Device on Jet. New York Times . Transportation Security Administration. (n.d.). Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). Retrieved February 8, 2011, from TSA: http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/ait/index.shtm Read More