Surprise! Despite assurances of the the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) whole body scanners (euphemistically referred to as “advanced imaging devices by these organizations) evidently can store images of scanned passengers.
A freedom of information act request has revealed that the machines can store and record images on hard drives.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) said Tuesday that documents it has obtained show that the body scanners being used at federal courthouses can store and record the images of those scanned with the devices.
EPIC has filed two other lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security related to the use of body scanners. The first FOIA lawsuit is aimed at obtaining more information about the use of body scanners in U.S. airports, including 2,000 images it says DHS has refused to release. A second petition against DHS, filed last month, seeks to obtain an emergency stay against the use of the scanners in U.S. airports.
After having spent time face to face with privacy officials from DHS and TSA, I have to believe that these capabilities have been kept secret even from the top privacy personnel at these organizations.
On the other hand, DHS and TSA may have different technical standards for the machines used at courthouses than those used at airports. However, with each new shoe to drop regarding the privacy issues of the whole body scanners, public trust in our security officials is sure to suffer.
It seems that in order to prosecute anyone for trying to bring unauthorized items aboard aircraft or to arrest passengers for non-flight issues that are uncovered by the whole body scanners such as hidden drugs etc. some record of the search would have to be maintained.
Can’t DHS and TSA come clean and let us know the truth rather than have it come out in drips and drabs, month after month?
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
