TSA Security Body Scanners:
Safety vs. Ethics
Michelle Hanan
IT 103 Sec. 007

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Introduction

Body Scanner: What is it?

Potential benefits and risks

Legal and Ethical Issues

Security Concerns

Conclusion

Sources

To this day there are many questions that need to be answered as to what is the next step that needs to be taken in order to better the scanners. Although putting the scanners in airports have brought us closer to having a safer nation, it has not done all it could to keep us safe. There have been many incidences where the scanners have completely missed objects that could have been a threat. Personally, the ethical issues and the risks they pose are greater than the benefits. Me being a frequent traveler, I do not feel comfortable when I am placed into the scanner and watch as my very detailed image gets put on surveillance screen. I do believe it is an invasion of privacy and unreasonable in some circumstances. There are many kinks that need to be worked out because the scanners still cannot detect invisible threats such as liquids and what could be inside a person's body. Going back to Brenner, there are better ways of detecting something harmful without passing radiation through a person's body as well. Also, in order for this system to be really successful, these body scanners need to be placed in more than just a few countries. So far, The U.S. is one of the only countries that have scanners into place; Great Britain has scanners in some of their main airports as well. Germany has rejected the idea of placing scanners at their airports (Israel 2010). What if someone was traveling into the U.S with something harmful? Not much can be done then. I believe that this is the beginning of something that can be potentially helpful and beneficial, but many years of research and perfecting the scanners is still needed. Hopefully one day there will be an improved version of the scanner that everyone can agree on that will keep us all safe without being so controversial in nature.

In Summary, here are the main advantages and disadvantages of implementing the use of a body scanner:

Benefits of Body Scanners-
  • Gives travelers peace of mind and promotes public safety
  • Detects harmful weapons or materials under clothes
  • Fast and does not hold up any lines
  • Major development in traveler's safety
  • Encourages anyone traveling to think twice about concealing something potentially harmful to others
Disadvantages of Body Scanners-
  • Cannot see within the body itself, therefor cannot detect hidden materials
  • Cannot detect liquids such as liquid explosives
  • Many argue that the images produced are very intrusive and too detailed
  • Children under 18 cannot be scanned due to child pornography laws
  • Some studies show that the ionizing radiation can increase a person's chances of getting cancer if they are a frequent traveler
  • Other countries still refuse to put Body Scanners to use in their airports