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Exposed: Naked Body Scanner Images Of Film Star Printed, Circulated By Airport Staff

Authorities’ claim that virtual strip search pictures immediately destroyed proven fraudulent – use of devices needs to be halted now.

Claims on behalf of authorities that naked body scanner images are immediately destroyed after passengers pass through new x-ray backscatter devices have been proven fraudulent after it was revealed that naked images of Indian film star Shahrukh Khan were printed out and circulated by airport staff at Heathrow in London.

UK Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said last week that the images produced by the scanners were deleted “immediately” and airport staff carrying out the procedure are fully trained and supervised.

“It is very important to stress that the images which are captured by body scanners are immediately deleted after the passenger has gone through the body scanner,” Adonis told the London Evening Standard.

Adonis was forced to address privacy concerns following reports that the images produced by the scanners broke child pornography laws in the UK. When the scanners were first introduced, it was also speculated that images of famous people would be ripe for abuse as the pictures produced by the devices make genitals “eerily visible” according to journalists who have investigated trials of the technology.

However, the Transport Secretary’s assurances were demolished after it was revealed on the BBC’s Jonathan Ross show Friday that Indian actor Shahrukh Khan had passed through a body scan and later had the image of his naked body printed out and circulated by Heathrow security staff.

“I was in London recently going through the airport and these new machines have come up, the body scans. You’ve got to see them. It makes you embarrassed – if you’re not well endowed,” said Khan, referring to how the scans produce clear images of a person’s genitals.

“You walk into the machine and everything – the whole outline of your body – comes out,” he said.

“I was a little scared. Something happens [inside the scans], and I came out. Then I saw these girls – they had these printouts. I looked at them. I thought they were some forms you had to fill. I said ‘give them to me’ – and you could see everything inside. So I autographed them for them,” stated Khan.

The story was carried by Yahoo News under the headline “Shah Rukh signs off sexy body-scan printouts at Heathrow”.

Khan’s reference to “girls” with printouts of his naked body scan can only refer to female airport security staff responsible for processing the images produced by the scanners, “professionals” who are supposed to instantly delete the images, according to Lord Adonis.

The revelation that airport security staff are completely abusing any notion of the professionalism promised by authorities by printing out and circulating images of naked body scans should set alarm bells ringing, especially in light of the fact that such images of minors break child pornography laws. British authorities have made it mandatory for travelers to submit to the naked body scanners when asked and have overturned previous rules that prevented under 18’s from passing through the devices.

Within days of the devices being introduced at Heathrow, staff have abused their professionalism and printed out naked scans of a famous actor for their own titillation.

We were promised all along that the body scanners “increased privacy” because they were only accessible to a single staff member who had no personal contact with the passenger taking the scan, in addition to the assurance that the images could not be saved and were instantly deleted. It in fact turns out that airport staff have been saving, printing and circulating naked body scans in complete violation of these supposed guarantees.

Furthermore, we were told that the identity of the person undergoing the virtual strip search would also be kept private. The fact that Heathrow employees must have known that the actor was about to take the body scan in order to print out copies of the image also proves this claim to be a total fallacy.

The abuse of the naked body scan images in this instance is a total violation of every data protection law in the UK. Far from treating the story in a comical manner, Khan should be filing a very expensive lawsuit and preparing for a successful and lucrative outcome.

In the meantime, the revelation that the naked body scanner images are being freely printed out and circulated by airport security staff should prove to be the death knell for plans on behalf of governments worldwide to institute the scanners on a widespread basis.

Courts have consistently found that strip searches are only legal when performed on a person who has already been found guilty of a crime or on arrestees pending trial where a reasonable suspicion has to exist that they are carrying a weapon. Subjecting masses of people to blanket strip searches in airports reverses the very notion of innocent until proven guilty.

Barring people from flying and essentially treating them like terrorists for refusing to be humiliated by the virtual strip search is a clear breach of the basic human right of freedom of movement. Security experts agree that such scanners would not even have stopped the incident that has been exploited to justify their widespread introduction – the Christmas Day underwear bomber.

Not only have the scanners proven to be a total violation of privacy, but major international radiation safety groups are now warning of the health risks they pose.

Despite governments claiming that backscatter x-ray systems produce radiation too low to pose a threat, the Inter-Agency Committee on Radiation Safety concluded in their report that governments must justify the use of the scanners and that a more accurate assessment of the health risks is needed.

Pregnant women and children should not be subject to scanning, according to the report, adding that governments should consider “other techniques to achieve the same end without the use of ionizing radiation.”

“The Committee cited the IAEA’s 1996 Basic Safety Standards agreement, drafted over three decades, that protects people from radiation. Frequent exposure to low doses of radiation can lead to cancer and birth defects, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,”reported Bloomberg.

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com

un-traditional new years ideas, if you're rich...

from Alonso Dominguez Sanchez Teruel on ASW

1. Kiribati
Beat Everyone to the New Year

Following a rather convenient International Date Line eastbound move in 1995, the Republic of Kiribati's Caroline Island became the first piece of land on Earth to witness the new sunrise every day. After a fitting tourist attraction build-up for the Millenium change in 1999/2000, Kiribati has become an attractive destination in the South Pacific for those in search of untouched crystalline beaches (60% of the archipelago is actually uninhabited) and a real cultural experience.

2. Transylvania 
Booze Up with Dracula

Okay, so Robert Pattinson is booked. Fear not! The "original" vampire has other plans this New Year's Eve. Indeed, for the first time ever, Dracula's reputed abode, Bran Castle in Transylvania, Romania, will be open for an exclusive New Year's Eve celebration.

A mere 500 euros gets you in for a private NYE tour, some much needed nourishment (their A negative is supposed to be the best), and the NYE champagne toast de rigeur. Roam around the world's most infamous castle and sink your canines into the victim of your choice at the stroke of midnight. Fangtastic.

3. Tierra del Fuego
The End of the Year at the End of the World

Standing at the world's most southern point (not counting Antartica), Tierra del Fuego is an interesting option for NYE. Practically uninhabitable during winter, the ideal time to visit this region of the world is in January, at the height of the southern hemisphere's summer.

Not for the indoors-oriented traveller, though, the activities in Tierra del Fuego are as varied as one can imagine. Icebreaking cruises, whale watching, hiking, and trekking are amongst the numerous experiences to be had. You'll certainly be able to fit in a couple of them per day, given that summer days last for no less than 17 hours. Yes, 17 hours of sunlight.

4. Berlin
Skip the First Three Days

Can't handle the pressures of the new year? Fastforward (well, sort of) to January 4th. Berlin's staple club Berghain prides itself in keeping the hardcore partiers off the streets…by holding them safely behind its walls. Armed with the best sound system in the world (they have an award to prove it), the power plant-turned-mega club will keep the party going for three days straight (1 - 4 January 2010), with a non-stop, no holds barred line-up ready to entertain for 72 consecutive hours. Don't think you can handle the whole thing? You're always welcome to drop by on Sunday the 3rd at around 10 am for a live techno fix.

5. Hong Kong
Fireworks, Civilized

Ok, we said no big, big cities—but wait! Although Hong Kong's may seem as watered-down, overpriced and crowded a celebration as any of the other metropolises, the British-turned-Chinese island's fireworks—dubbed the best in the world—when done right, are one of the best NYE experiences out there.

As always, the secret is location. The best thing to do in this case, if you're so inclined to watch fireworks—and believe us, it's a truly magnificent sight—is to reserve a table at the Phillip Starck-designed Felix. The restaurant, which sits atop the Peninsula Hotel, has floor-to-ceiling windows facing directly on the harbour, providing a prime spot to watch the show. Order some Caviar & Bubbles, sit back and count back to midnight.

6. Johannesburg, South Africa
Out with the Old

Fly down to Johannesburg to witness one of the best (in our opinion) NYE traditions on earth. On the December 31st, entire neighbourhoods of the South African metropolis come out on their balconies and open windows to rid themselves old electronic equipment and household appliances (read: they throw everything out on the streets). The tradition—dubbed one of the most dangerous in the world—has been continously shut down by the oh so competent authorities…without any success. Get a good spot—somewhere high—and watch closely as last year's electronics become physical countdowns into the New Year. Umbrellas optional.

7. Reykjavik
Hunting Aurora Borealis

In 2002, Áramótaskaup (the New Year's comedy, or New Year's Eve ridicule), an annual TV show, broke the record of the highest percentage of watchers within a western nation's population—95.5%. But not all of celand's winter miracles are TV-related.

Aside from the outstanding nightlife and gastronomic experiences this European capital has to offer, the real treat of Icelandic winters is watching the aurora borealis, or northern lights. Viewable only from a few countries around the world, this natural phenomenon is best experienced in open spaces with low artificial light, making it practically impossible to see when near a densely populated area.

Reyjavik, with a population of only 117,000, provides for a particular scenario in which going even only a few miles outside the city can prove very effective when searching for the aurora borealis. As always, location is key. Watch the astronomy reports during NYE, rent a car or car service and take off to hunt the lights. We promise, you won't regret it.

http://www.asmallworld.net/magazine/dropping-the-ball-turning-our-backs-on-big-city-ny-ecelebrations/415874