TSA Scanner Images: Now, Less Naked

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While I'm not sure I'm "on board" with the redesigned software, it is a major step back in the right direction. I never had a problem with metal detectors, because they're designed to detect metal -- to identify dangerous contraband. The scanners, on the other hand, are designed to reveal a naked human image. They perform their security function when something intereferes with their designed purpose: contraband obscures the clear depiction of the naked human being. By adjusting the software to show only the obscuring object and not the naked human body, they have acknowledged and attempted to address this design flaw. I remain suspicious, howwever, of a software fix, since they are notoriously easy to "unfix." What they really need to do is improve on technology that looks for what is not supposed to be there, rather than finding it by showing what is supposed to be there as the current scanners do. In other words, a hardware fix for the privacy invasion is a better solution than a software one. This is the distinction that so many defenders of the scanners fail to acknowledge. It is one thing to seek out contraband. It is another to seek out a naked image and only discover contraband when you are unable to see the naked image. There is a certain medieval witch hunt element to it. Instead of declaring someone a witch if s/he floats (and lives) but not a witch is s/he sinks (and dies), we declare someone a danger if we are unable to see their naked body and safe if we are able to see it. The innocent are violated in both cases. I assume that JNS and FRNC will still think I have my head up my ass on this issue, but better mine than someone else's.

I still wonder if the person viewing a minor in one of these machines is effectively looking at kiddy porn.

Does it still give you cancer?  I thought that was the important part. Oh well, our cell phones are probably going to do us in anyways, so I guess it doesn't matter.