Rapiscan body scanners to be removed from airports, replacing, rape-n-scan devices being relocated
Naked-Image Scanners to Be Removed From U.S. Airports By Jeff Plungis, www.bloomberg.com | January 18, 2013
‘The U.S. Transportation Security Administration will remove airport body scanners that privacy advocates likened to strip searches after OSI Systems Inc. (OSIS) couldn’t write software to make passenger images less revealing.
‘TSA will end a $5 million contract with OSI’s Rapiscan unit for the software … the company couldn’t meet a congressional deadline to produce generic passenger images…’
‘TSA has contracted with L-3, Smiths Group Plc (SMIN) and American Science & Engineering Inc. (ASEI) for new body-image scanners, all of which must have privacy software. L-3 and Smiths used millimeter-wave technology. American Science uses backscatter….’
So they’ll still have both types.
The TSA wants to expand the “PreCheck” program so that more passengers share personal information prior to visiting the airport in exchange for not being scanned (they say).
The TSA insists they’re not pulling them out for safety reasons or because of accusations of falsified tests. They’re pulling them out only because this particular company didn’t meet the congressional deadline for new software.
The TSA is talking to other government agencies that might take these machines. Rapiscan scanners are already sold to other government departments where people supposedly won’t care about their privacy or safety.