Like it or not, advanced imaging technology (AIT)–capable of producing highly detailed pics of your naked body–is expanding rapidly throughout U.S. airports. Last month, there were at least 142 AIT units deployed in eleven airports, but by the end of the year that will jump to more than 450 nationwide, spread across at least forty airports (see full list below). The TSA has tried to downplay privacy issues by saying that the units won’t save images, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t. In fact, the U.S. Marshals Service in Florida says they’ve got over 35,000 AIT scans of people saved. They also say that an AIT unit tested in the Washington, D.C. federal courthouse was sent back to the manufacturer with images still stored on it.

The TSA on the other hand promises no images will be saved, transmitted, or printed, but CNET points out that the agency’s procurement specs (PDF) specifically request that some units possess the ability to export images and transfer them across high speed data networks.

I’m not trying to suggest some nefarious conspiracy by the government to create its own “Travelers Gone Wild” DVD franchise. But it does seem unlikely that the AIT unit that shoots a pic of your junk on your next trip will somehow be impervious to errors, oversights, or misbehavior, no matter what the TSA tells us.

Here are the airports where you get to experience being a virtual exhibitionist. Most in the second group will come online later this year; those marked with an asterisk already have at least one AIT unit but are marked to receive more.

• Boston Logan International (BOS)
• Charlotte Douglas International (CLT)
• Chicago O’Hare International (ORD)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International (CVG)
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FFL)
• Kansas City International (MCI)
• Los Angeles International (LAX)
• Mineta San José International (SJC)
• Oakland International (OAK)
• Port Columbus International (CMH)
• San Diego International (SAN)
   
  
• Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)*
• Bradley International Airport (BDL)
• Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)
• Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)*
• Dulles International Airport (IAD)
• Fresno Air Terminal (FAT)
• General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
• Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR)
• Greater Rochester International Airport (ROC)
• Harrisburg International Airport (MDT)
• Honolulu International Airport (HNL)
• Indianapolis International Airport (IND)*
• Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)*
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
• McCarran International Airport (LAS)*
• Miami International Airport (MIA)*
• Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP)
• Nashville International Airport (BNA)
• Palm Beach International Airport (PBI)
• Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
• Richmond International Airport (RIC)*
• Saipan International Airport (GSN)
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)*
• San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)*
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
• Tampa International Airport (TPA)*

“Feds admit storing checkpoint body scan images” [CNET]
July 20th announcement of further AIT unit deployment in 28 more U.S. airports [Department of Homeland Security]
March 5th announcement of AIT unit deployment in 11 U.S. Airports [Department of Homeland Security]

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