In response to the recent public outrage over the full body scanners implemented at airports by the TSA, the agency has unveiled a modified version of the technology. The new scanner incorporates software which creates a very generic blurred image of the individual, identical for all travelers, while showing clear images of anything considered a potential security threat.
The first trial of the software has been rolled out at the McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas and will be in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and Regan Airport in Washington DC next.
In a statement from the TSA, administrator John Pistole said, “Testing this new software will help us confirm test results that indicate it can provide the same high level of security as current advanced imaging technology units while further enhancing the privacy protections already in place.”
The upgrade to the wave technology scanners will also eliminate the need for TSA personnel to be in a separate room for viewing the images of the individual. In this new method, both the traveler and the TSA agent will see the same screen, hopefully putting the privacy concerns of the traveling public to rest.