The Stripping of Freedom: A Careful Scan of TSA Security Procedures

Body Scanner Facts

  • "WBI shall allow exporting of image data in real-time"
    -TSA Procurement Specifications Document (obtained by EPIC under FOIA)
  • "The WBI system shall provide capabilities for data transfers via USB devices. . ."
    -TSA Procurement Specifications Document (obtained by EPIC under FOIA)
  • "The WBI System: (a) Shall possess an Ethernet network interface…"
    -TSA Procurement Specifications Document (obtained by EPIC under FOIA)
  • "The WBI shall allow exporting of image data (raw and reconstructed."
    -TSA Procurement Specifications Document (obtained by EPIC under FOIA)
  • "Enabling and disabling of image filtering shall be modifiable by users as defined in the User Access Levels and Capabilities appendix."
    -TSA Procurement Specifications Document (obtained by EPIC under FOIA)
  • "The WBI System . . . (b)shall support full/half duplex data rates of 10/100 mega-bits per second to support future requirements. (c) Shall support Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
    -TSA Procurement Specifications Document (obtained by EPIC under FOIA)
  • "The WBI units shall consist of the following components . . . Windows XPe"
    -L3 Millimeter Wave Contract (obtained by EPIC under FOIA)
  • "The final decision on the operational deployment of a technology should be based on the performance, reliability, cost, and maintainability of the machines. These technologies should only be deployed if appropriate privacy filters have been established."
    -Senate Appropriations Report (2008)
  • " . . . A third of a kilo of PETN, easily picked up in a competent pat down, would be missed by backscatter "high technology".. . . It is also easy to see that an object such as a wire or a box- cutter blade, taped to the side of the body, or even a small gun in the same location, will be invisible."
    -Leon Kaufman and Joseph W. Carlson, "An Evaluation of Airport X-Ray Backscatter Units Based on Image Characteristics"
  • "The scary thing to me is not what happens in normal operations, but what happens if the machine fails . . . Mechanical things break down, frequently."
    -Physics Professor Peter Rez, Arizona State University
  • "It's premature to put a whole population through this thing, not without much more due diligence and much more independent testing."
    -Biochemistry Professor John Sedat, University of California at San Francisco
  • "If all 800 million people who use airports every year were screened with X-rays then the very small individual risk multiplied by the large number of screened people might imply a potential public health or societal risk. The population risk has the potential to be significant."
    -Dr. David Brenner, head of Columbia University's Center for Radiological Research
  • "The issue of radiation associated with the backscatter x-ray AIT machines has not been adequately addressed by TSA."
    -Letter from Senators Collins, Burr, and Coburn to Secretary Napolitano and Administrator Pistole, August 5, 2010
  • "Before implementing this new more invasive pat down procedure, as a preliminary matter, TSA should have had a conversation with the American public about the need for these changes. Even before that conversation, TSA should have endeavored to ensure that these changes did not run afoul of privacy and civil liberties."
    -Letter from Reps. Bennie Thompson and Sheila Jackson-Lee to TSA Administrator Pistole, November 19, 2010
  • "Additionally, it appears that these devices cannot detect explosives or other dangerous objects inside of body cavities."
    -GAO Report, March 2010
  • "Prohibition on Use for Routine Screening – Whole-body imaging technology may not be used as the sole or primary method of screening a passenger under this section. Whole-body imaging technology may not be used to screen a passenger under this section unless another method of screening, such as metal detection, demonstrates cause for preventing such passenger from boarding an aircraft."
    -H.R.2027 – Aircraft Passenger Whole-Body Imaging Limitations Act of 2009
  • "Provision of Information – A passenger for whom screening by whole-body imaging technology is permissible . . . shall be provided information on the operation of such technology, on the image generated by such technology, on privacy policies relating to such technology . . ."
    -H.R.2027 – Aircraft Passenger Whole-Body Imaging Limitations Act of 2009
  • "Prohibition on Use of Images – An image of a passenger generated by whole-body imaging technology may not be stored, transferred, shared, or copied in any form after the boarding determination with respect to such passenger is made."
    -H.R.2027 – Aircraft Passenger Whole-Body Imaging Limitations Act of 2009