There are now 200 Body Scanners in 50 domestic airports
With 800 more on the way

Nigerian newspaper This Day has reported that security at Lagos airport are getting off on watching females going through the naked body scanners and do look at them “in person” before viewing the images

“Investigative reporters visited the airport during a slow period when security officials had time to spare. The journalists found some of them hanging around the scanner display. Since the scanner blurs the face in an attempt to give anonymity, the officers were hurrying over to the line to peek at the passengers before going back to the scanner to check out their favorites.” – (Source: Gadling)

“Journalists witnessed passengers objecting to go through the scanner until security turned off one of the metal detectors, giving them the choice of using the full-body scanner or waiting in a longer line.”

So not only are they perving over the women, they actually switched off the alternative machines to force people to go through the scanner.  allAfrica.com has more on the story.  You can relate this to the previous news of a security man at Heathrow making a lewd comment to a co-worker after snapping her with the scanner.

MEANWHILE

An Israeli security expert who helped plan security at Israel’s super-strict Ben Gurion Airport says BODY SCANNERS DON’T WORK. Israeli airports don’t use the device. (Source)

Italy is considering ditching the scanners after its 6month trial, saying they are slow and ineffective.

But elsewhere they are just being unveiled, it is unlikely they are going away anytime soon. Example, Hamburg

A pregnant passenger was in tears as she was denied the alternative option of a pat down and bullied into going through the full naked body scanner at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, unlike in the UK, US Airports are supposed to allow you to choose a pat down instead of being scanned.  (Source)

The alternative pat down has been called “quite intimate” and “aggressive”, by some passengers, confirming fears that the security officials are A) Abusing the situation to get off. B) Making it as uncomfortable as possible so next time you  choose the body scanner. C) All of the above.   (Source: New York Times)

O’Hare Airport appears to be a serial offender with an Army veteran recently stating “It definitely didn’t feel optional at all,” “The officer said, either you go through the body scanner or you leave the airport or we’re going to call the police and they’re going to come and arrest you,” “After I went through the body scanner, they still patted my pants down.”

Untill the Body Scanners that display a “cartoon” avatar are the norm Invasions of privacy & abuses of power will continue to take place