EPIC Uncovers: Mobile Scanners Not 'Certified People Scanners'

OverTheGeicoE writes "The Electronic Privacy Information Center received more FOIA documents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding mobile x-ray scanners (a.k.a. Z Backscatter Vans). We've discussed these devices before. Perhaps the most interesting part is slide #11 ('Disclaimer About Scanning People') on page 6 of this PDF explaining that the radiation output of these devices is too high to comply with ANSI N43.17. In other words, they output too much radiation even by TSA's questionable standards for airport body scanners. Regardless, the slide ends with the author stating that the ANSI standard 'is not applicable to covert operations.' What might that assertion have meant to the presentation's intended audience?"

Comments

So it's good for you?

[AliasMarlowe]

We irradiate meat to make it safer, so why not people?
Curiously, despite going through a couple airports in the NW US recently, I was only scanned in Seattle, where they appeared to be scanning everyone. In Portland, it was just standard metal detectors (I used Portland rather more than Seattle). In Vancouver Canada, it was also just metal detectors.