Now there is a choice: naked scanner or search

Passengers at European airports will be checked using “naked” scanners once the European Commission approved today rules under which it works. Naked scanners allow you to see non-metallic objects. Their introduction began after the discovery of explosives in the heel of the shoe on one flank and another passenger turned to the United States.

Naked scanners are advanced metal detector technology used today, but since working with X-rays and show three-dimensional parts of the body under examination, were previously blocked in the European Union as hazardous to health and violating the privacy of passengers.

After almost two years of negotiations with the European Parliament, which refused the introduction of new scanners, the Commission now agree to the terms of use, allowing even from the middle of December to be mounted on any European airport.

Image quality, which is like a medical devices allows to clearly see details of the audited body, including anatomical details.

To ensure privacy and dignity of passengers, the main requirement is that the people who will watch the images to be in a separate room from the border inspection post. Furthermore, the image records will be kept only until the passenger is at the scanner, says the guidelines will be published in “Official Journal” of the EU next week.

So far, the intention of full passenger’s anonymity is hardly feasible, since only one producer of scanners own such technology. Because of this the European Commission recommended that the authorities in the Member States to show the faces of the passengers blurred.

People who have health, religious and other reasons and are not willing to undergo three-dimensional scanner, may request another inspection. The European Commission announced that it will be a personal search by a member of airport staff. Because of the health risks of ionizing radiation on people with pacemakers, prostheses, insulin and diabetic pregnant women, the examination will be done by touching.

According to a report of the police in Hamburg, however, the new machines make too many mistakes. The images are blurry and at the slightest movement and the scanner gets confused by zippers, metal buttons and spikes.

As part of its campaign against the negative image of the new airport scanner, Brussels, even changes his name and instead of “naked” in the future it will be called “security scanner”. Such machines are currently used in London and the airport in Amsterdam, but they have been tested in Germany, France, Finland and Belgium.

Their supporters claim that besides that they are safer, they will significantly reduce queues at airports. Passengers will continue to remove shoes and belts, to take out coins and to be returned several times. The safety of the flight, will significantly improve, they say.