Full Body Scanner Persuasive Speech

In terms of privacy, the Full Body Scanner has caused a lot of controversy amongst key players in the world of aviation, with the likes of the Middle East and Europe displaying a rather negative attitude towards the modernistic American technology.

Privacy is a topic of great concern surrounding the operation of the full body scanner. When passing through the machine many individuals feel exposed and discriminated against due to their exposed figure on the screen displayed to security guards. There have been cases whereby guards have asked attractive people to pass through the machines, and also made fun of overweight passengers. This obviously highlights areas for concern within the community, as these individuals are supposed to be working

So much so, that in the UK they have banned children from going through the machines due to child protection laws against paedophilia. Under the Protection of Children Act 1978 it is illegal to create a “pseudo-image” of a child (H.Blake, Jan2010,). This is obviously dealing with moral issues concerning children, and protects them from exposure.

Australia however, has opted for the less invasive version of the equipment, whereby a generic stick figure is used displaying areas of concern by highlighting the part of the body. This allows the passenger to feel less exposed, as it does not disclose any intricate detail, and also reveals all that is necessary to enable security workers to perform the duties of their job.

To further re-assure passengers that the technology isn’t so invasive, there is no personal information stored within the machines, making the body scanner more focused on the task at hand, rather than leaving any more space for concern which can adversely affect the relationship between the public and national security associations. This feature along with the generic stick figure has provided full confidence for the Australian public that this technology will benefit security on a national and international level. Australia sees no problem in implementing this technology, and is trialling it in all 8 international airports,

In Germany a police report stated that ’35 per cent of 730,000 passengers set off the alarm, even thought they were innocent,’ with clothes, boots, zips, and even posture being the cause for the machine to go off. However, since these statistics were produced the updated, generic body scanner has been implemented, despite previous critical reactions, at Frankfurt airport on the basis that passengers travelling to North America should go through the machines due to more stringent levels of security. Under EU regulations passengers cannot be forced to go through the machines. (L.Brown, Sept 2012.)

In Italy, the government has banned the full body scanners, judging them as slow and inefficient. They report that the scanners take approximately 30 seconds longer than a simple hand check, and that the technology has not met expectations.

In the UAE, due to the high Islamic population, Dubai airport has refused to implement the scanners on the grounds of ethical concerns. Officials state that they contradict the Islamic culture of the UAE, and breach the respect of individuals and their