The TSA has announced they have met their mandated June 1 deadline of removing all 250 backscatter machines from airport checkpoints.
The backscatter machines, or “virtual strip searches” as some liked to call them, showed a graphic image of the person being screened including, in many cases, their private parts. These machines also emitted a low level of radiation.
Congress wasn’t thrilled with all the complaints they were getting and ordered the TSA to find a way to increase privacy.
Realizing they wouldn’t meet the Congressionally imposed June 1 deadline, TSA announced in February that all backscatter machines would be removed and replaced with full body scanners that show a less graphic image and use radio waves instead. Critics say these millimeter wave machines are much safer.
There are over 700 of the “approved” machines in use in the USA.
In case you were wondering, Rapiscan Systems, the manufacturer of the bodyscanners, paid for the removal of the machines since they announced they wouldn’t be able to convert their machines in time.