Washington (CNN) -- The Transportation Security Administration is taking steps beginning Wednesday to eliminate the image of an actual passenger in the body scanners at airports and is replacing it with a generic outline of a person.
The new software on its millimeter wave Advanced Imaging Technology machines is designed to enhance privacy but maintain security standards.
It "will auto-detect items that could pose a potential threat using a generic outline of a person for all passengers," according to a statement from the TSA.
"If no potential threats are detected, an 'OK' appears on the monitor with no outline, and the passenger is cleared," the statement said.
Passengers will be able to view the same outline a TSA officer sees, and it will no longer be necessary for a separate TSA officer to view the image in a remotely located viewing room.
Currently, there are nearly 500 imaging technology units at 78 airports in the United States and more units will be deployed this year, the TSA said. Some of the units use the millimeter wave technology, while others use so-called "backscatter" technology.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/07/20...ns/index.html?