TSA to remove controversial X-ray scanners

The Associated Press

Published: Friday, Jan. 18 2013 11:20 a.m. MST

Transportation Security Administration screener Marlon Tejada, left, watches as Randy Parsons, TSA acting Federal Security Director, right, goes through a full body X-ray scanner for a security screening Monday, Nov. 22, 2010, at the Los Angeles International airport.

Associated Press

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Summary

The Transportation Security Administration confirms that it is getting rid of airport body scanners that produce a naked image of travelers.

WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration confirms that it is getting rid of airport body scanners that produce a naked image of travelers.

Right now the TSA uses two types of scanners. One makes a generic image showing where agents should look for an object on the traveler's body. Those scanners are staying.

The other kind of scanner uses X-rays. They raised privacy concerns because they show metal objects on the traveler's body — along with every other detail, too. Congress has mandated that those scanners be changed or removed by June.

TSA says the X-ray scanners will be gone by June. It says the company that makes them, Rapiscan, was not able to come up with a software fix to make the scanners comply with the Congressional mandate.

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fisher1949

DUNDALK, MD

Maybe TSA finally realized that they are in violation of federal child pornography laws when they send minors through the scanners. The EU realized this early on and banned the scanning of minors. TSA still scans adolescent children and occasionally More..

3:44 p.m. Jan. 18, 2013
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