Child porn fears scupper airport ‘nude X-ray’ scans

By Jason Lewis
Updated:

Virtual 'strip': A scan image showing a hidden knife, highlighted

Virtual 'strip': A scan image showing a hidden knife, highlighted

Airport  security chiefs have been banned from subjecting children to a controversial new X-ray scanner that produces ‘naked’ pictures of passengers because of legal warnings the images may break child pornography laws.

The full-body scanner, which can spot weapons and explosives hidden under clothing, was launched with great fanfare at Manchester Airport last week.

But now – with the system due to begin operating at full capacity at Manchester’s Terminal 2 next week – security chiefs have been told no one under 18 can be subjected to the new checks.

Child protection experts have warned that the image produced by the Rapiscan machines may break the law which prevents the creation of an indecent image or pseudo-image of a child.

The legislation, the Protection of Children Act 1978, could potentially have led to security officers facing criminal charges for doing their job by examining the images.

Airport bosses had originally intended to allow children to be scanned during the 12-month trial if their parents gave consent.

But they changed their minds after they were approached by the civil rights group Action on Rights for Children, which has campaigned against the use of body scanners on children.

The group argues the machines are disproportionately intrusive and remove a child’s right to dignity, particularly given that many youngsters are sensitive about their bodies.

Last night a Manchester Airport spokesman confirmed that all staff had been told not to allow children to be scanned by the new equipment. He said: ‘Our lawyers and child welfare groups have warned us this is a legal grey area.

‘We do not want to open ourselves or our staff to the possibility of legal action, so we have decided children will not be subjected to these scans and will continue to face normal security checks.’

The Department for Transport hoped the virtual strip-search device would provide the solution to long queues at security checkpoints at all airports.

The equipment means passengers are no longer required to remove their shoes and coats for security checks. 

And it also does away with the need for physical ‘pat-down’ searches on those who trigger an alarm when they pass through traditional scanner arches because they have forgotten to hand over their keys or other metal objects.

A member of security staff would see a 'naked' front and back view of the passenger (left) and a computer graphic (right) which will highlight in red which areas of the passenger needs to be checked by fellow staff members

A member of security staff would see a 'naked' front and back view of the passenger (left) and a computer graphic (right) which will highlight in red which areas of the passenger needs to be checked by fellow staff members

The Rapiscan works by beaming electromagnetic waves on to passengers as they stand in a booth, creating a virtual three-dimensional black-and-white ‘naked’ image from the reflected energy and sending it to a computer monitor elsewhere in the airport where it is examined by a security officer.

The whole process takes only about 20 seconds and then the image is deleted.

But the scans show every contour of people’s bodies – even revealing breast implants – which some may find intrusive.

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