THURSDAY June 12, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- The U.S Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on June 10 said that security scanners which can seen through passengers' clothing and reveal details of private parts are being deployed in 10 US airports.

Some travelers getting ready to board airplanes in Washington, New York's Kennedy, Los Angeles and other key airports will be randomly selected and subject to the scrutiny of their physics in a glass booth.

The scanners emit "millimeter waves" which go through clothing to identify metal, plastics, ceramics, chemical materials and explosives, according to the TSA.

The move has drawn some concerns from passengers and rights activists about passengers’ privacy. "People have no idea how graphic the images are," Barry Steinhardt, director of the technology and liberty program at the American Civil Liberties Union was quoted as telling AFP, a news outlet.

Lara Uselding, a TSA spokeswoman, was cited as telling AFP that passengers do not have to accept the new machines and they can choose between the body imagine and the pat-down, the traditional way security workers use to search passengers for suspicious items.

The technology behind the millimeter wave scanners can extend the search area to as far as 50 meters beyond the scanning area which would allow security workers view a large number of people without their awareness, according to Farran Technologies, a manufacturer of a model of the scanner, cited by wikipedia.  

The TSA reportedly wanted 30 new machines installed in airports by the end 2008.  

The security scanners have been used in airports in Europe, AFP reported.