Invasion of the Body Scanners

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) introduced new security measures at airports across the country, and travelers are in an uproar. Passengers face a choice between full-body scanning or being aggressively frisked. Travelers have complained of “very invasive” searches, and several lawsuits have been filed against the Department of Homeland Security and TSA over alleged violations of Fourth Amendment protections. TSA officials have urged cooperation and patience as the agency tries to balance security and privacy. Polls have shown that Americans broadly support screening procedures in theory, but their implementation has left passengers upset, humiliated, or angry.

Only a few specific guidelines have been released by TSA about how the pat-downs are to be conducted, including:

  • frisking will be conducted by agents the same sex as the passenger;
  • a private screening can be requested with a traveling companion present during the search; and
  • passengers age 12 and younger can receive only a modified pat-down.

Some critics of the way TSA handles airport security point to Israel’s system as a model. It has successfully ensured both security and efficiency without annoying passengers. The Israeli approach includes multiple levels of screening, beginning when people arrive at the curb. Observers trained in “behavioral profiling” focus on how people react when questioned: Do they show signs of nervousness or distress or other odd behavior? Looking people directly in the eye is a key element. Luggage is scanned within an area that can be quickly cleared and that is specially equipped with blast-proof glass to contain an explosion. The Israeli system intends to avoid disruptive evacuations such as might occur at an American airport even if a bomb were discovered.

Related Links

  • Pat-Downs at Airports Prompt Complaints
    This article details the furor over “enhanced” pat-down searches and body-scanners being used by the Transportation Security Administration at U.S. airports.
    (Source: New York Times, November 18, 2010)
  • Pat-Down Fury: The 5 Biggest TSA Horror Stories
    This article summarizes some of the more upsetting recent stories of airline passengers going through TSA screening checkpoints; includes links to opinion pieces, proposals for reforming airport security measures, and political cartoons on the subject.
    (Source: The Week, November 22, 2010)
  • Transportation Security Administration
    The official Web site of the TSA invites public feedback, suggestions, and ideas; includes an overview of screening technologies (and radiation risks), descriptions of TSA procedures, information and checklists for travelers, and a statement from the agency’s top administrator on TSA’s efforts “to strike the right balance between privacy and security.”
    (Source: tsa.gov; accessed December 1, 2010)
  • The “Israelification” of Airports: High Security, Little Bother
    In light of the controversy over TSA pat-downs and use of body-scanners, many people are taking a new look at the way Israel handles airport security. This article from 2009 examines the differences in the Israeli approach compared to that of the United States.
    (Source: The (Toronto) Star, December 30, 2009)

3 Comments

  1. Michelle Malpica Salgado says:

    MUST BE COOL,BUT WE NEED PRIVERSY OK CAUSE I DONT LIKE PEOPLE SCANING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!:(

  2. Badger says:

    Yeah, the war lord(me) needs some privacy.

  3. honet badger says:

    Haha war lord