Leaked Document: TSA’s New Screening Device Shows Too Much of Your Naughty Parts

The TSA’s latest screening system, part of their ‘Future Lane Experience’ turns out to show images that are way too revealing.

The machine, provided by ThruVision of Ashburn, Virginia, “sees any type of item—including metal, plastic, ceramic, gel, liquid, powder and paper—hidden in peoples’ clothing at distances of 3 to 10m,” (~ 10 ft – 32 ft).

[Previous no longer in use scanners] acted as a “virtual strip search” that provided TSA employees with pictures of passengers’ genitalia, breasts, and buttocks.

The “privacy risks” with the new equipment are likely very similar, experts say. The problem is associated with the “Graphical User Interface”, which lacks adequate “privacy filters,” according to the TSA contract.

What these documents reveal is that the TSA “nude-o-scope” is back. They’re going to have to implement a ‘software fix’ so that the revealing images of private body parts aren’t displayed to screeners. However the agency will still be using technology that views them, and with the potential to store them.

In the past such software hasn’t been on in ‘test’ mode and the TSA has been accused of having some machines in service in that mode — in other words displaying customers in ways that would mortify many, especially since children are going through screening too. We know the prurient interest of some screeners, too, since TSA employees in Denver were working together so that their colleagues could fondle attractive same-sex passengers.

(HT: petaluma1)

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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  1. We are thinking about installing a couple of these in our cabins as a replacement for the IFE units we ripped out.

  2. Makes me want to heal kick every one of these bastards right in the face when I go through TSA

  3. How would you feel, if the TSA started sharing these scans with police forces. Then afterwards, one of the big media companies got their hands on them. I never liked the Nudie machines.

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