An X-ray strip search device is being tested starting today at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Passengers selected for secondary screening are given an option of the X-ray, which uses low-dose radiation to see through clothes (with great detail) but not skin, or a pat-down. From CBS4:

Men will view male images and women will view female images, but privacy advocates are concerned that those more detailed, embarrassing images will be stored inside the machine and can be viewed at a later time.

“It captures an image of a person as if they were wearing no clothes…and with quite a bit of detail,” said Marc Rotenberg from the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

The manufacturer says the machine has been modified and only generates an outline, never an explicit image and nothing is saved.

If the test goes well, the machines could be up and running at New York JFK and LAX by the end of the year. Guess we’ll have to hit the gym before flying.—MEGHANN MARCO

Travelers Weary Of ‘X-Rated’ Security Scanners [CBS4]

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