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Old Nov 14, 2011, 8:13 am
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Post EU Bans X-Ray Scanners

Featured on Drudge in ironic juxtaposition to a TSA warning about wrapped Christmas presents...

EU adopts guidelines on airport body scanners

The European Union adopted new guidelines Monday on using body scanners at airports, hoping to address the privacy concerns that have delayed their implementation across the continent.

Siim Kallas, the EU commissioner responsible for transport, said under the rules the technology will only be used with strict safeguards to protect health and fundamental rights.

Last edited by Fredd; Nov 14, 2011 at 8:23 am
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Old Nov 14, 2011, 9:04 am
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Of course, the reporter takes at face value that the scanners are more effective than metal detectors.

The scanners, some of which produce nude-like images of passengers, are already used in the United States and elsewhere as a more effective screening of passengers than metal detectors.
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Old Nov 14, 2011, 9:11 am
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I wonder if the UK is going to follow this EU ruling? Up now they seem to have done what they want at Airports in the UK that have Backscatter Radation WBIs, i.e. no option to opt out of the WBIs if you are selected and want to fly.
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Old Nov 14, 2011, 6:28 pm
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Just get rid of the bodyscanners now! There is no need to install the bodyscanner at airports anymore. This is overdone the bodyscanner. It's time to removal all bodyscanners out of EU & USA airports.
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Old Nov 14, 2011, 9:21 pm
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from the article:

The scanners, some of which produce nude-like images of passengers, are already used in the United States and elsewhere as a more effective screening of passengers than metal detectors.
bolding mine...

nude-like. Indeed. Now that TSA has the ATR alternative, the truth is coming out at last about what the pervs in the booth were looking at....
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Old Nov 14, 2011, 9:35 pm
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The scanners, some of which produce nude-like images of passengers, are already used in the United States and elsewhere as a more effective screening of passengers than metal detectors.
Well, except for the fact that they have a 100% failure rate at detecting guns.

And implanted bombs.

And cavity bombs.

And...

They are, however, much more effective than metal detectors at finding:

drugs

cash

nothing
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Old Nov 15, 2011, 2:31 am
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This is hardly a ban... quite the opposite. It looks like the EU is rolling over, probably under pressure form the US, in order to get MORE body scanners in EU airports!

Wall Street Journal: EU's Airports to Use Full-Body Scans

and from the article you linked to...

The European Union adopted new guidelines Monday on using body scanners at airports, hoping to address the privacy concerns that have delayed their implementation across the continent.
Please change the title of the thread - it is totally misleading.
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Old Nov 15, 2011, 6:52 am
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One of us is confused

Originally Posted by Wollstonecraft
Please change the title of the thread - it is totally misleading.
Actually, I lifted the thread title - EU Bans X-Ray Scanners - from a Drudge headline for the link to the Yahoo piece I cited. The line is contained in the piece as follows: "And in order not to risk citizens' health and safety, only security scanners that do not use X-ray technology can be used at EU airports."

I've checked this morning and found the following so far, most of which read the same and probably share AP as a source:

Also, it said, in order not to risk citizens’ health and safety, only security scanners that do not use X-ray technology can be used at EU airports.

Europeans Ban X-Ray Scanners at Airports

And in order not to risk citizens’ health and safety, only security scanners that do not use X-ray technology can be used at EU airports.

In order not to risk citizens' health and safety, only security scanners which do not use X-ray technology can be used at EU airports.

The introduction of such security scanners at airports will not be mandatory for EU member states but if the technology is deployed, its application must comply with the regulations passed on November 11 and the devices must not use X-ray transmission imaging.

Concerned about the potential health risks, lawmakers called for a ban on the use of X-ray scanners that use ionising radiation.

Are you possibly conflating full-body scanners and X-Ray scanners? The EU's banning of X-Ray scanners may not be worth three cheers, but it's worth one cheer IMHO.

Last edited by Fredd; Nov 15, 2011 at 7:00 am
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Old Nov 16, 2011, 6:38 am
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I'm more interested in whether the UK will be forced to allow opt-outs.
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Old Nov 16, 2011, 6:19 pm
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Originally Posted by stifle
I'm more interested in whether the UK will be forced to allow opt-outs.
+1. So far I've been successful in avoiding LHR but it's getting harder.
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Old Nov 17, 2011, 6:11 pm
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Originally Posted by RadioGirl
+1. So far I've been successful in avoiding LHR but it's getting harder.
Good for you. Just keep avoiding at LHR or LGW. You don't have go through LHR anymore.

Originally Posted by stifle
I'm more interested in whether the UK will be forced to allow opt-outs.
Yes, those passengers who had it rights to opt-out. They do not wish go into the bodyscanners. They are completely waste their times.

This is overdone the bodyscanners all UK Airports. It's time to removed all BKSX machines out of airports.
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Old Nov 18, 2011, 2:03 am
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In all of my departures from and connections via LHR, I've never been compelled to use the strip search machines to take a flight, if only because the strip search machines there are so few and far between and because getting creative to avoid them is a possibility.

Originally Posted by sbagdon
It'll be interesting to see how some (most?) of the EU affords the scanners. We're at 2 of the 17 EU countries ready to default, and there might be more. If spending money on scanners is part of their austerity measures, this could get interesting.
If not but for temporary reprieve, some say it to be more like 4 and likely to rise to 6 before this is all said and done.

Wasting money on this "security" hardware, software and service contracts won't help, but what's another drop in the bucket when it's taken by some to be OPM.
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Old Nov 18, 2011, 4:33 am
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Originally Posted by GUWonder
In all of my departures from and connections via LHR, I've never been compelled to use the strip search machines to take a flight, if only because the strip search machines there are so few and far between and because getting creative to avoid them is a possibility.
NOS at LHR is random selection (with the occasional secondary or use by someone who prefers NOS, e.g. due to artificial hip).
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Old Nov 18, 2011, 6:39 pm
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Full text of new reg in English

Hey folks - I found the new reg in its entirety here: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...07:0011:EN:PDF. I also posted this in the other half of the TSS forum. Looks like it takes effect 20 days after publication (published Nov. 12).
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Old Nov 19, 2011, 6:22 am
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I subscribe to the online newsletter Smarter Travel and was pleased to notice this article today:

[Excerpt]

Europe Bans X-Ray Body Scanners Over Cancer Worries; Will U.S. Follow?

The European Union (E.U.) announced this week that it is banning the use of X-ray (a.k.a "backscatter") body scanning machines over health concerns. Questions have been raised over the safety of using X-ray technology, which is believed to potentially increase a passenger's risk of cancer, as a means of passenger screening.

The European Commission, which wrote the report, states: "In order not to risk jeopardising citizens' health and safety, only security scanners which do not use X-ray technology are added to the list of authorised methods for passenger screening at E.U. airports."


http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/t...9672798%3A%3Ah
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