TSA to Test Devices that Can "See Through" Clothing

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced it will test a device that "passively" screens passengers for explosives. The device, employing millimeter wave technology, will be tested on passengers boarding the Staten Island Ferry at the St. George Terminal in Staten Island, New York, during off-peak hours. According to developers and advocates, millimeter wave technology will allow security screeners to "see through" passengers' clothing to detect concealed threats made of ceramic, plastic, glass or metallic materials.

The new technology is part of the TSA's Security Enhancement and Capabilities Augmentation Program (SEACAP).

In theory, the new equipment will allow for effective passenger screening, without any noticeable delay. "Prior to boarding, passengers will move through the terminal's turnstiles at their normal pace," says the TSA in a press release. "Passengers will not be asked to stand in place, nor will they even need to break stride." TSA security screeners will remotely monitor video images of the screened passengers.

TSA contends that "privacy issues will not be a concern," because "the technology does not use whole body imaging." Persons with their clothes being "seen through," might not share the TSA’s lack of concern.

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