EU commissioner warms up for body scanner probe

The European Commissioner for Transport, vice-presendent Siim Kallas, is preparing a report on body scanners for the European Parliament. The perv-scanners are currently in use in Holland and the UK, but Kallas favours European-wide regulation of the devices. The EC was going to include the scanners in its approved list of …

[The BigYin]

How can scnaner be off the list?

I thought it was an EU law that required us to implement them?

[Anonymous Coward]

In this case...

Couldn't be further from the truth, when it comes to invading privacy and undermining basic freedoms and rights, we're the bad boys of Europe and regularly on the receiving end of their dis-approval and legal sanction.

[Winkypop]

Cavity scanners next

Don't laugh.

Paris for obvious reasons.

[Anonymous Coward]

What REALLY worries me...

Is that there's absolutely NO WAY I'm going to allow myself to be perve scanned at an air-port, it's wrong on so many levels, never going to happen...

However, it's only a matter of time before my company asks me to travel again by air, either domestically or over-seas, what then? What ablout my next holiday?

Not only is my privacy being trampled on but my career prospects and general quality of life as well =OC

[Andy ORourke]

Aren’t you over reacting somewhat?

OK, look, if you were a celebutard or a fit bird then there is the outside possibility of a chance that someone doing the scanning might possibly think about grabbing a shot of you and selling it to the press / posting it online somewhere. If, like me you are a slightly overweight, balding 40 something who do you think gives a fuck?

My only complaint is that these wont be used INSTEAD of the normal security measures, take your shoes / belt / jacket etc off but AS WELL AS thus INCREASING the amount of time taken to traverse airport security.

So you would jeopardise your job and forsake sunning your ass on the beach for a fortnight because some chinless wonder will see a blurry outline of your body, you sir are an idiot

I hope they introduce fast lanes for people willing to undergo this “gross invasion of privacy” then I can use that and be done with security in 2 minutes and necking a beer while all the self righteous people who don’t want their privacy invaded are still putting their belts, shoes and coats back on

</rant>

[Gene Cash]

No kidding...

Next time I fly, there'll be some poor TSA bastard on the floor clawing his eyes and screaming.

But seriously, though, I have sworn off flying, and work knows I will only drive or use a train if they want me to get somewhere.

I'll not have my money (or work's money on my behalf) paying for this security theatre. And yes, I will quit over it.

[Anonymous Coward]

Not Long Until the General Election...

"...Kallas said there had been no failure to meet EU security standards at Schipol Airport on 25 December (when the pants bomber boarded his flight to the US). Instead there had been a failure of intelligence and a failure to "join the dots".

Spot-on. This is the vital truth that our own despicable Home Secretary in the UK seems content to ignore. It wasn't the absence of perv-scanners that allowed the pants bomber to burn his nuts; it was the abject failure of intelligence and existing security.

But, as ever, our government's response is to install more cameras, confiscate more civil liberty and to bypass Parliamentary scrutiny at every possible juncture.

Not long until the General Election here in the UK. This bunch of inept, wilfully undemocratic criminals have barely three months left to continue their war on our freedoms. The question is, just how much more damage are they willing to do before they're kicked out of office?

[Mark 65]

One problem

The only problem with this is that incoming Governments never really change what's gone before them - why would they when they can just blame the previous mob? The Conservatives come in, take a look at the bs that went on, change nothing, repeal nothing, do their own shit. That's the way it works and is why it's a massive issue when dicks like New Labour make it into Government.

[Andy ORourke]

The question is.......

Do you really think the next lot of tossers are going to do anything differently?

[Anonymous Coward]

Ze petard, eet ees being hoisted

``no failure to meet EU security standards at Schipol Airport [when the pants bomber boarded his flight to the US]''

So, managing to board without passport is alright then? Pray tell, why do we even have those RFID-equipped people-tracking-tag things, in that case?

Go perv scanners and pervs, go!

We should nominate the nominally responsible ministers honorary scanner perving awards.

[John Smith 19]

He sounds like he knows something about this subject

Which beats the planks who introduced them.

Thumbs up for him, thumbs down to this crap brained farce.

[Bunglebear]

Duration of security

To be perfectly frank these scanners are fine, an addition to security arsenal rather than replacement. You will just walk into the thing and out the other end; the majority of people will go right through - unlike metal detectors that result in considerable delay due to change in pockets or metal buckles. Whether these scanners are actually effective remains to be seen of course, but there should be no resistance in principle.

I have no pity for the privacy queens - you don't like it, don't fly. I won't have my security compromised by your over-delicate sensibilities.

[Field Marshal Von Krakenfart]

Well Daaaah!!!

Well of course the EU are going to question the use of the perv scanners, Michael Chertoff doesn't sit on any EU committees.