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To be clear: these images came from the US Marshals Service scanning people entering a courthouse in Florida, not from the TSA. The TSA maintains that their mac

by macrael 16y ago

To be clear: these images came from the US Marshals Service scanning people entering a courthouse in Florida, not from the TSA. The TSA maintains that their machines are unable to store images: http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/08/tsa-response-to-feds-admit-storing.html http://blog.tsa.gov/2010/08/tsa-response-to-feds-admit-stori... These images were not leaked or snuck out by an employee or anything, they were acquired through a Freedom of Information Act request. I think the TSA's scanners are an unjustifiable invasion of privacy, but I think that people should make their arguments with the facts. This article is shamelessly caching in on people's outrage without really adding much to the discussion. The US Marshals' statement on the subject: http://www.usmarshals.gov/news/chron/2010/080510a.htm http://www.usmarshals.gov/news/chron/2010/080510a.htm

loewenskind 16y ago
>The TSA maintains that their machines are unable to store images They may maintain that but they've done one lie after another about these machines. An actual TSA screener seems to indicate here [1] that they do indeed store the images, they just choose to delete them if they aren't pertinent. This sounds much more likely, if they find something they will probably need the photos for any court case that comes later. Note that this would also mean that the images can be retrieved from the machines and possibly in a very convenient manner. [1] http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/e49v8/by_request_iama_tsa_supervisor_amaa/c156b75 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/e49v8/by_request_iama_...
marze 16y ago
These images are from a different type of scanner that produces much fuzzier images than the x-ray based scanners being used on air travelers. It would be naive to think the government responded to the freedom of information request and released these images now during the controversy about the TSA pat downs and x-ray scanners by chance, as it will give those not paying attention the impression the images are not very detailed.
watchandwait 16y ago
TSA is lying about storage. The machine's specs REQUIRE storage of images in a "Test Mode", and even allow export of the images through a USB thumb-drive. Check out pages 10 and 16. http://epic.org/open_gov/foia/TSA_Procurement_Specs.pdf http://epic.org/open_gov/foia/TSA_Procurement_Specs.pdf
rbanffy 16y ago
> This article is shamelessly caching in on people's outrage without really adding much to the discussion. Not only that - by showing the wrong kind of image taken at places different than the TSA with a different technology, it may mislead people into believing this is the kind of image the TSA generates. It's shameful. It's been a long time since Wired ceased to be a relevant news source. I remember their "long boom" issue just weeks before the dot-com bubble crash.

by macrael 16y ago

loewenskind 16y ago

>The TSA maintains that their machines are unable to store images They may maintain that but they've done one lie after another about these machines. An actual TSA screener seems to indicate here [1] that they do indeed store the images, they just choose to delete them if they aren't pertinent. This sounds much more likely, if they find something they will probably need the photos for any court case that comes later. Note that this would also mean that the images can be retrieved from the machines and possibly in a very convenient manner. [1] http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/e49v8/by_request_iama_tsa_supervisor_amaa/c156b75 http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/e49v8/by_request_iama_...

marze 16y ago

These images are from a different type of scanner that produces much fuzzier images than the x-ray based scanners being used on air travelers. It would be naive to think the government responded to the freedom of information request and released these images now during the controversy about the TSA pat downs and x-ray scanners by chance, as it will give those not paying attention the impression the images are not very detailed.

watchandwait 16y ago

TSA is lying about storage. The machine's specs REQUIRE storage of images in a "Test Mode", and even allow export of the images through a USB thumb-drive. Check out pages 10 and 16. http://epic.org/open_gov/foia/TSA_Procurement_Specs.pdf http://epic.org/open_gov/foia/TSA_Procurement_Specs.pdf

rbanffy 16y ago

> This article is shamelessly caching in on people's outrage without really adding much to the discussion. Not only that - by showing the wrong kind of image taken at places different than the TSA with a different technology, it may mislead people into believing this is the kind of image the TSA generates. It's shameful. It's been a long time since Wired ceased to be a relevant news source. I remember their "long boom" issue just weeks before the dot-com bubble crash.