Philadelphia International Airport will be among the 40 airports to receive new security body scanner technology, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rather than a specific, more detailed, image of the passenger being scanned, the TSA’s new body scanning system -- a response to advocates of personal privacy who argued that past scanners’ images were too invasive and revealing -- will produce a generic, stick-figure-like image.
"Every image will be the same for every person" said TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis.
All three of the Philadelphia’s current scanners, located in Terminals B, C, and F, will receive the upgrade.
Not only do you get a more generic look when you go into a scanner, you and the TSA agent can both see the image. Scanner images will no longer need to be viewed by an officer in a remote location, as was the case with the older software, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Of the 500 scanners currently being used in U.S. airports, about half will get this new technology in the coming months. It can still detect items under clothing, such as explosives and potential weapons. The remaining scanners will be upgraded in the near future, according to the TSA.
