The dates are squishy, but reports today say full body scanners will soon be in LAX and JFK, two of the nation’s largest airports. The technology debuted at O’Hare (above) in March.
Today, the New York Post reports that the $170,000 machines are headed for LaGuardia and JFK, as part of a rollout of 450 new scanners nationwide. Passengers on domestic flights at LAX will began passing through machines that were previously only in the international terminal. The LA Times reports that more scanners are expected in San Diego and Oakland “soon.”
This comes as a backlash builds against the pricey machines. Last year, the U.S. Government Accountability Office said the TSA is deploying the scanners without knowing if they could actually detect “threat items.” USA Today reports that cancer experts are also expressing concerns that the small amounts of radiation from the scanners could have a damaging effect on skin and tissue. Privacy concerns endure, too. — Collin Campbell
Related stories
