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There is a hot debate on the use of full body scanner at the airports around the world, due to the issue of privacy.
In Canada, a survey shows that 75% of the people favor the use of the scanners due to the belief that this would help to prevent terrorism. These are the “security advocates”. On the other hand, there is another group of “privacy advocates” opposes the use of scanner, calling it a “virtual strip search“. The opinion is that not everybody is required to be subjected to the scanning, e.g. grandmonthers and children. In UK, one group even warned the government that this would be a violation of human rights to privacy.
Then came another question, can the scanners detect weapons stored inside human cavities? An article at WSJ highlighted that the global implementation of scanners at the airport would not be able to detect explosives hidden inside the human body. It was quoted that one manufacturer was able to detect objects inside, but that also raises the question about radiation exposure.
Given the current concern with terrorism, we foresee that the scanners are likely to be implemented worldwide. Regardless of whether or not it is 100% foolproof, having an additional layer of checks is better than sitting there thinking about the new solution.
If there are only 2 choices, would you prefer to strip naked everytime before you board a plane, or risk the small chance dying in an air explosion (lets hope nobody ever board the wrong plane)?
