Opposition to Body Scanners Continues to Grow

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Wat gaan we doen als de Amerikanen uiteindelijk besluiten toch geen
naaktscanners te installeren?

Kunnen wij die van onze ministers Ter Horst en Hirsch Ballin nog aan de
Zuid-Afrikanen verkopen?
Heel handig om terrorisme te voorkomen tijdens het voetballen ;)

Groet / Cees

PS. Tenzij je de heimelijke afspraak maakt om die gasten door te laten
natuurlijk!

[3] Opposition to Body Scanners Continues to Grow
=======================================================================
The Committee on Homeland Security has expressed privacy concerns
regarding airport body scanners. In response to a Congressional
inquiry, led by Congressman Bennie Thompson, the Transportation
Security Agency acknowledged that images on body scanner machines would
be recorded for "testing, training, and evaluation purposes." The TSA
also did not dispute that test mode, which allows for exporting image
data, could be activated in airports, but said this "would" not happen.

In addition to congressional concerns, the Idaho House of
Representatives has voiced opposition to body scanners by voting to
limit use of the digital strip search machines. The 58-9 vote sends
Bill 573 to the Idaho Senate, which will vote on the anti-body scanner
measure. The Bill would bar body scanners as primary screening, require
security officers to offer an alternative search, and mandate an
independent investigation into the scanners' health risks. The bill's
sponsor, Rep. Phil Hard, said, "It's my opinion that the use of these
devices to screen every individual … would be an unreasonable search of
those persons."

Furthermore, in a March 25, 2010 letter, civil liberties, consumer
rights, air travel, and religious organization have asked President
Obama to "suspend the further deployment of body scanners in US
airports." The organizations said that the scanners are "contributing
to a negative perception of the United States" and noted the "sincerely
held religious opposition to the digital undressing of air travelers by
TSA officials."

This opposition follows EPIC President Marc Rotenberg's testimony
before the House Committee on Homeland Security, in which he urged the
Committee to halt the plan to deploy body scanners in the nation's
airports. Furthermore, Ralph Nader and Marc Rotenberg asked President
Obama to suspend the deployment of body imaging devices until a
"comprehensive evaluation of the devices' effectiveness, health
impacts, and privacy safeguards is completed by an independent review
board." Lastly, the Government Accountability Office released a report
that warned the TSA of the importance of full operational tests and
expressed concern over TSA's lack of complete risk assessments and
inability to "provide documentation to show how they have addressed the
concerns … regarding the susceptibility of the technology to terrorist
tactics."

TSA Letter to Congressman Bennie Thompson
      http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/TSA_Reply_House.pdf

Idaho House of Representatives Bill 573
      http://legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2010/H0573.pdf

Coalition Letter to President Obama
      http://www.epic.org/redirect/040710coalitionletter.html

EPIC Testimony to House Committee on Homeland Security
      http://www.epic.org/redirect/040710epictestimony.html

Nader and Rotenberg Letter to President Obama
      http://www.epic.org/redirect/040710naderletter.html

Government Accountability Office Report
      http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-10-401T

EPIC: Whole Body Imaging Technology
      http://epic.org/privacy/airtravel/backscatter/

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