[Infowarrior] - Fwd: Senators ask Marshals Service why it stores images of full-body scans taken at US Fed courthouse Orlando, Fl.

[Richard Forno]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Jonathan Abolins <jon.abolins at gmail.com>
> Date: August 20, 2010 4:44:51 PM EDT
> To: Richard Forno <rforno at infowarrior.org>
> Subject: Senators ask Marshals Service why it stores images of full-body scans taken at US Fed courthouse Orlando, Fl.
> 
> May be of interest
> See also this from EPIC:
> http://epic.org/2010/08/following-epic-foia-lawsuit-us.html
> - Jon
> 
> http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100820_1563.php
> <<
> Senators ask Marshals Service why it stores images of full-body scans
> 
> By Katherine McIntire Peters and Aliya Sternstein 08/20/2010
> 
> Unhappy Senate lawmakers have asked the U.S. Marshals Service, an arm
> of the Justice Department, to explain why it has stored more than
> 35,000 whole body imaging scans taken at a federal courthouse in
> Florida.
> 
> In an Aug. 19 letter to the agency, Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and
> Susan Collins, R-Maine, the chairman and ranking member, respectively,
> of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said they
> were concerned individuals' privacy might be compromised. The advanced
> imaging technology used during security screening procedures at the
> federal courthouse in Orlando "are able to scan through clothing and
> capture detailed images of the bodies of those who are scanned," the
> lawmakers said in the letter.
> 
> Sens. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii; Thomas Carper, D-Del.; Saxby Chambliss,
> R-Ga.; and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., also signed the letter.
> 
> Body scan machines came under scrutiny on Christmas Day 2009 after an
> alleged terrorist bypassed airport security with an explosive device
> concealed in his undergarments in a failed attempt to blow up a
> U.S.-bound passenger jet. Privacy advocates say the scanning
> technology is invasive and ineffective, while some security
> specialists say more devices are necessary to detect weapons that
> metal detectors cannot reveal.
> 
> In response to media reports, the Marshals Service issued on Aug. 5 a
> statement that said the machine that screens individuals at the
> Orlando courthouse is a passive millimeter wave system manufactured by
> Brijot Systems, and the pictures are not accessible without an
> administrative password. In addition, officials said the service never
> accessed the images until the agency received a request for them under
> a Freedom of Information Act from the Electronic Privacy Information
> Center, a civil liberties group.
> 
> The images "can in no way be described as images of 'naked' or
> 'undressed' people. Rather, they are pixilated, chalky and blurred
> images," the statement said. "One cannot tell if the subject is male
> or female. Privacy is protected while safely and effectively detecting
> potential threats and contraband."
> 
> The agency provided a link
> <http://www.brijot.com/products/gen2/index.php> to the manufacturer's
> website, where similar body scans can be seen.
> 
> "As one can easily see, the scanned images do not reveal anatomical
> details. One cannot tell if the subject is male or female," the
> statement said.
> 
> Nonetheless, the senators requested "a full explanation" as to why the
> service saved the images and asked about other locations where the
> images might be stored.
> 
> The lawmakers also urged the agency to adopt stricter privacy
> practices and consider employing a software program that automates the
> process of screening images, which would eliminate the need for guards
> to directly view the depictions.
> 
> The Transportation Security Administration, which also uses whole-body
> scanners, has publicized its privacy policies, which ban saving most
> full-body images. TSA also prohibits sharing the pictures
> electronically. The senators encouraged the U.S. Marshals Service to
> adopt similar security practices.
> 
> They also suggested the agency consider switching to a different
> technology called automatic target recognition, which uses a machine
> instead of employees to examine the images. TSA is contemplating
> whether to deploy the software at its checkpoints in U.S. airports.
> 
> "Computer-based autodetection technology, which identifies potentially
> threatening objects on a person using a featureless human body outline
> to highlight those areas of the individual that may require further
> inspection, would go a long way to address the legitimate privacy
> concerns many Americans have regarding whole body imaging technology,"
> the senators wrote.
> 
> On Friday, Marshals Service spokesman Steve Blando had no additional
> comment beyond the Aug. 5 statement. He said the agency has received
> the senators' letter and will respond appropriately.
>>> 
>