Thursday, August 5, 2010

All I can say about the TSA Airport Perv Scanner ...

... is told you so.

Tens of thousands of nekkid photos stored by U.S. Marshals at Miami Airport Federal District Courthouse. Security Guru Bruce Schneier was once asked what he'd do with the TSA's budget. "I'd give it back," was his reply. Hard to see that we'd be worse off.

Tar and feathers, people. Tar and feathers.

5 comments:

mdc708 said...

with all due respect, let's look at the facts associated with this incident.

1. The images were obtained from a scanner in use at a federal courthouse, NOT an airport.

2. The scanner at the courthouse is owned, maintained, and utilized by the U.S. Marshals Service, NOT the TSA.

I agree that the scanners are an issue, but lay the blame for this incident on the responsible party.
Making the assumption that just because the Marshals are saving images that means the TSA is doing the same thing is just as idiotic as saying that all of the law enforcement officers in Arizona are going to start racially profiling because of the immigration law.

Borepatch said...

mdc708, I stand by my earlier statement that it is not a question of "if", it's a question of "when". The controls to prevent this are weak, if indeed they are implemented at all.

And quite frankly, the TSA's "it can't be done"/"it won't be done"/"we don't think it's been done" inspire zero confidence.

Add to this the fact that since 9/11, terrorist attacks on airlines have been stopped by the passengers (not the TSA), and you have utter fail.

mdc708 said...

I don't disagree with you that the security kabuki that TSA specializes in is a nightmare that has its basis in maintaining a culture of fear and control. I also agree that the potential for abuse of this type of imaging technology is significant and I sure as hell would not want some of the high-quality TSA employees that I see on a regular basis when I fly looking at a scan of my wife or any female family member for ANY length of time for reason.

My issue was the misrepresentation that the TSA was involved with the current incident.

TOTWTYTR said...

As I asked over at my place, why spend millions in tax dollars for a capability that they'll never use? Nope, they're going to record those images, even if only some of them.

mdc708 I think it's illustrative of the mind set that the US Marshall's service recorded images when they said they wouldn't, not misrepresentative.

deadcenter said...

When your defense boils down to, "yes, we saved images when we said we would not, but it's okay because our scanners are lower resolution than those used by the TSA", your actions need to be reviewed by your superiors and your employers, us. And, you need to find a job that does not upholding the oath you swore when you started your current one.