News: UK Equality and Human Rights Commission Say Body Scanners Breach Privacy

From the Times: Trevor Phillips, head of the UK watchdog created under the Equality Act (2006) in order to uphold nondiscrimination, has declared them a violation of privacy law established by the Human Rights Act.

They are calling on the UK Home Secretary Alan Johnson to explain in detail how the government will ensure that implementation of body scanning is compliant with the right to privacy. In particular they have raised privacy concerns with the use of body scanners on the disabled, the elderly, preoperative transsexuals and those with potentially embarrassing medical aids.

An EHRC spokesman said the use of profiling was “discriminatory, contrary to domestic legislation and international standards, and is harmful to community relations”.

A source at the watchdog added: “Scanners have a negative impact on people’s right to privacy, particularly the disabled, older people and children. Transsexuals and transgender people would be particularly vulnerable.

“We are talking about very intimate pictures. To be blunt, one could imagine a bunch of loutish security guards seeing some attractive women in the queue and all rushing into the office saying, ‘Let’s have a look’.”