Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Body scanners at Dane Co. Airport, elsewhere, violate Fourth Amendment

Airports all across the nation are investing in full-body scanners to help prevent terrorists and other criminals from bringing weapons onto planes. The scanners are widely controversial, seen by critics as an invasion of privacy -- the images produced by the scanners allow those viewing them to see airline passengers as they would appear naked.

Though most Americans support the use of the scanners, a growing number of airline passengers are starting to have doubts about the machines.

Dane County Regional Airport is likely to get the scanners sometime soon, and General Mitchell in Milwaukee already has them. If Wisconsin travelers refuse to do the full-body scan, they must be patted down before boarding the plane -- a practice that is getting more invasive for many airline passengers across the nation, who often describe the pat-downs as "groping" or as coming close to what many consider sexual harassment in any other context.

Most believe the scanners are necessary -- but do they meet the standards set by our laws, and most importantly by the Constitution? Hardly. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: "The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

The question before us is this: is the use of scanners a violation of a person's privacy rights, an unreasonable search of a person without just cause? If the scanners are being used on every passenger, then yes, it is. Checking the bags of every person boarding the plane is one thing -- even metal detectors make sense to an extent.

But these invasive searches -- allowing airport personnel to see its passengers in the nude or to be nearly groped in order to fly, is an unreasonable approach to trying to figure out if anyone flying that day is carrying a weapon. If there is reason to suspect a person might be carrying a weapon, a reasonable search of that person might be using these scanners. But until there is a just -- and reasonable -- cause to do so, the use of these scanners on all passengers violates the Fourth Amendment.

5 comments:

  1. Airports all across the nation are investing in full-body scanners to help prevent terrorists and other criminals from bringing weapons onto planes. The scanners are widely controversial, seen by critics as an invasion of privacy -- the images produced by the scanners allow those viewing them to see airline passengers as they would appear naked.cheap Gatwick Parking

    ReplyDelete
  2. First of all these body scanners are bad for health of passengers and secondly a big reason to put a stop upon its usage is here defined by you as"allowing airport personnel to see its passengers in the nude or to be nearly groped in order to fly, is an unreasonable approach to trying to figure out if anyone flying that day is carrying a weapon." I have seen others blog debating on the same issue but you have clearly and logically defined it. Nice share.

    ReplyDelete
  3. body scanners prevent criminals in a great way but they have become controversial as well. they are also the pertinent need of the day. they should be made less harmful.Secure Car Parking Luton

    ReplyDelete
  4. Where the use of body scanners is beneficial regarding security matters but as well becoming controversial regarding health and airport personnel because it violates the personal rights. anyhow security is always a priority and its so when the matter is of car security before departure . meet and greet parking Gatwick is really helpful

    ReplyDelete
  5. Body scanning at airport is truly becoming controversial these days and according to research it is said that they are unable to detect the hidden things in the body. Anyways security is also applied to your vehicle before departures at airports . Therefore gatwick meet and greet makes travel stress free.

    ReplyDelete