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Exposed: leaked body scans published online

Proves pervscan images can be saved

Casting doubt on government assurances that full-body scanners don't violate air travelers' privacy, Gizmodo has published 100 photographs saved in violation of stated policy, taken by one such machine deployed in a federal courthouse in Florida.

Fortunately for the people photographed, the Gen 2 millimeter wave scanner used in Orlando delivers low-resolution images that don't reveal much. Gizmodo's point is that something similar could happen in airports, which use backscatter X-ray scanners whose health effects are poorly understood and also deliver images that leave little to the imagination.

“According to the TSA — and of course other agencies — images from the scanners are 'automatically deleted from the system after it is cleared by the remotely located security officer,'” Gizmodo states. “Whatever the stated policy, it's clear that it is trivial for operators to save images and remove them for distribution if they choose not to follow guidelines or that other employees could remove images that are inappropriately if accidentally stored.”

The report is here. ®

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