CBS 11 Investigates: Airports Will Remove Controversial Body Scanners
DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - A CBS 11 Investigation appears to be getting nationwide results…and you may get some modesty back at the airport.
The Transportation Security Administration is getting rid of those full-body scanning machines that have caused so much controversy.
A lot of people having called them the "naked body scanners." They produce almost nude images of people at checkpoints. And, they've upset a lot of people- particularly women.
But, today the government announced that it is dropping them, because the company that makes the scanners could not meet a congressional mandate to develop software to better protect passenger privacy.
In February 2012, a Dallas woman told CBS 11 she was repeatedly asked to walk back into the machine for voyeuristic reasons. CBS 11 dug through hundreds of TSA complains revealing a pattern of similar reports. Following our story, one of the most powerful senators in the country, Senator Charles Schumer from New York introduced a bill that would have punished anyone who misuses the full body scan images. It called for fines and a up to a year in prison.
Now, the TSA is announcing those scanners will be removed by June. It should mean passengers move faster through security. It does not mean body scanners are completely gone.
You will see the new technology in airports nationwide. The machines in all airports will show a stick-like image and highlight potential threats. It will be monitored by TSA agents right at the checkpoint instead of another room which is where images from the older machines were reviewed.
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