Beginning next month, Olympia-area travelers flying out of Sea-Tac International Airport should expect a full-body scan at airport security checkpoints -- though they can opt out and choose a more time-intensive pat-down procedure.
The first advanced-imaging technology (AIT) units are scheduled to be installed at Sea-Tac in mid- to late-September, according to Dwayne Baird of the Transportation Security Administration. The technology is already used in 48 U.S. airports, including Spokane.
The full-body scans allow agents to see through passengers' clothing through the use of low-dose X-rays. The resulting blurry, nude image can then be screened in more detail than traditional airline security measures for nonmetallic items, such as weapons or explosives.
Not surprisingly, privacy is a concern. The Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, D.C. is fighting implementation of the new technology and has sued to stop the use of the full-body scans.
Three U.S. Senators -- Senators Susan M. Collins (R-ME), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Tom Coburn (R-OK) -- recently objected to expansion of the airport body scanner program in a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.
In an effort to address these concerns, TSA has made full-body screening optional, does not store the images, and has photos viewed by a screener located in a different area from the passengers being scanned.
Baird, speaking to the Seattle Times, said that every passenger can choose to walk through a metal detector instead. Those who opt out of the full-body scan will instead be patted down, a procedure that takes longer.
Source: Seattle Times
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