Apparently, there is a new x-ray machine to be used in airports in England that can see through peoples’ clothes. The machine produces an anatomically correct and detailed image in black and white. Civil liberties groups have labeled the machines as unjustified and intrusive. However, 98 percent of people who participated in the prelimary random “test run” gave positive feedback.

When I began reading this article, I was appalled at the idea of having to stand in front of an x-ray machine that will render me all but naked to some given individual. However, when I read further, it seems they address many privacy concerns. A spokesperson said that the machine images are not stored, it would be operated by a same sex operator, and that the operator would never see the actual individual. This anonymity is a bit more reassuring, but I still see the possibility of privacy invasions. The question is: Is this mild form of embarassment worth the protection the machines could provide?

Read more about this article, “Airport X-ray sees through clothes.”