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Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

radsec.org

21–30 of 65 posts

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#21

These machines are such a blatant violation of our Constitutional rights. We shouldn't be searched like this without probable cause or a search warrant. Whether they are effective or not is irrelevant.

We don't have a constitution. (Not everyone on the internet is American, and of those who are, none can do anything about erosion of your rights. Complain to your local political representative, who potentially can).

To be fair this paper is about machines deployed by the TSA.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#22
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Backscatter x-ray technology was removed from airports. [1] All airports now use millimeter wave technology. [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backscatter_X-ray [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner

Millimeter wave scanners still subject the body to radiation, even though they don't have the work "X-Ray" in the name. Radiation damage to your body is cumulative throughout your life, so if you care about your longevity, you'd be wise to opt-out of subjecting your body to this radiation whenever possible.

A light bulb subjects the body to radiation.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#23

These machines are such a blatant violation of our Constitutional rights. We shouldn't be searched like this without probable cause or a search warrant. Whether they are effective or not is irrelevant.

We don't have a constitution. (Not everyone on the internet is American, and of those who are, none can do anything about erosion of your rights. Complain to your local political representative, who potentially can).

Sorry for the US-centric comment. All people are created equal with unalienable rights, so we shouldn't be trampling the human rights of foreigners either. It's just easier to point out the abuses when we have governing documents that explicitly say we shouldn't be doing the thing that we're doing.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#24
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Backscatter x-ray technology was removed from airports. [1] All airports now use millimeter wave technology. [2] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backscatter_X-ray [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner

Millimeter wave scanners still subject the body to radiation, even though they don't have the work "X-Ray" in the name. Radiation damage to your body is cumulative throughout your life, so if you care about your longevity, you'd be wise to opt-out of subjecting your body to this radiation whenever possible.

No, there is ionizing radiation and nonionizing radiation. X-rays are ionizing radiation with photon energies higher than visible light. THz RF radiation is nonionizing and has photon energies that are less than that of visible light.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#25
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Millimeter wave scanners still subject the body to radiation, even though they don't have the work "X-Ray" in the name. Radiation damage to your body is cumulative throughout your life, so if you care about your longevity, you'd be wise to opt-out of subjecting your body to this radiation whenever possible.

Note that this view of "cumulative ratiation" is a myth, and a costly one. A recent note on this: http://atomicinsightscom.c.presscdn.com/wp-content/uploads/C... (there's not only a treshold, there may also be some hormesis, i.e. a slight decline in cancer rate for small doses)

This one page paper with one figure and six data points from an author nobody knows in a journal nobody has heard of is right. The generally accepted models of radiation dose must be thrown out the window.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We don't have a constitution. (Not everyone on the internet is American, and of those who are, none can do anything about erosion of your rights. Complain to your local political representative, who potentially can).

Sorry for the US-centric comment. All people are created equal with unalienable rights, so we shouldn't be trampling the human rights of foreigners either. It's just easier to point out the abuses when we have governing documents that explicitly say we shouldn't be doing the thing that we're doing.

> It's just easier to point out the abuses when we have governing documents that explicitly say we shouldn't be doing the thing that we're doing.

Can you explain what part of it is unconstitutional? Because while I'm totally against it, I think it is pretty much entirely constitutional because airlines are a private business that no one is being forced to go through. But I clearly don't know much about this and would welcome an education.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#27
post #16

As everyone knows, they aren't there for security. They are there for theater. Meanwhile the number of TSA "officers" arrested continues to grow each month http://tsascandals.wordpress.com/

I always opt out for this reason, even when I'm risking missing my plane. Paying contractors a lot of taxpayer money for a public placebo is offensive, and this makes me feel true to myself, but I wish I knew a more effective method of protesting. Currently no one really wonders about the odd out-out.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#28
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry for the US-centric comment. All people are created equal with unalienable rights, so we shouldn't be trampling the human rights of foreigners either. It's just easier to point out the abuses when we have governing documents that explicitly say we shouldn't be doing the thing that we're doing.

> It's just easier to point out the abuses when we have governing documents that explicitly say we shouldn't be doing the thing that we're doing. Can you explain what part of it is unconstitutional? Because while I'm totally against it, I think it is pretty much entirely constitutional because airlines are a private business that no one is being forced to go through. But I clearly don't know much about this and would…

The TSA is a government agency, not a private organization. Options for flying without undergoing a grope down or subjecting oneself to the nudie photo maker are limited to those wealthy enough to fly private.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#29
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Millimeter wave scanners still subject the body to radiation, even though they don't have the work "X-Ray" in the name. Radiation damage to your body is cumulative throughout your life, so if you care about your longevity, you'd be wise to opt-out of subjecting your body to this radiation whenever possible.

A light bulb subjects the body to radiation.

A light-bulb's light also doesn't penetrate solid objects. It's clearly a different type of radiation than standard light.

Our bodies aren't subject to millimeter wave radiation in nature, so they're not really evolved to defend against it.

I'm not against further studies of millimeter wave radiation and its effects on humans, I just don't want to be a guinea pig in those studies.

Re: Security Analysis of a Full-Body Scanner

#30
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's just easier to point out the abuses when we have governing documents that explicitly say we shouldn't be doing the thing that we're doing. Can you explain what part of it is unconstitutional? Because while I'm totally against it, I think it is pretty much entirely constitutional because airlines are a private business that no one is being forced to go through. But I clearly don't know much about this and would…

The TSA is a government agency, not a private organization. Options for flying without undergoing a grope down or subjecting oneself to the nudie photo maker are limited to those wealthy enough to fly private.

> The TSA is a government agency, not a private organization.

Right, but the airlines are private and you are choosing to enter into a contract with them out of your own volition. The TSA is a regulator, but is not requiring that you fly.

> Options for flying without undergoing a grope down or subjecting oneself to the nudie photo maker are limited to those wealthy enough to fly private.

Which sucks, but doesn't sound like a constitutional violation to me.

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