'Naked' scanning at airports?

What the new technology means for your travel and privacy needs

While security experts say full-body scanning technology, which uses x-rays and radio waves to create a three dimentional image of passenger's body underneath his or her clothing, might have caught "underwear bomber" Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, some privacy groups protest that it's equivalent to an invasive "digital strip search." Last June, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill restricting use of the technology in airports, citing concerns about both privacy and effectiveness. Are the benefits of "naked" scans worth the loss of privacy? (Watch an AP report about airport security and privacy fears)

Fine, look at my "naked" bodyjust keep me safe: I'd take a "strip-search" scan over being blown out of the sky any day, says Froma Harrop in The Seattle Times, and I imagine I'm not alone. Besides, an anonymous "naked" once-over beats the screening alternative: "having someone pat you up and down is a lot more personal than letting an officer in another room who can't see your face take a quick look at a picture."

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