US senator introduces bill to punish body-scan pics distributors

WASHINGTON - US Senator Charles Schumer has introduced a bill that would make it a crime to illegally distribute or record revealing images produced by full-body scanners at airports.

According to the New York Post, anyone found guilty could face a year in prison and fined up to 100,000 dollars, or both.

“Anyone who would try to use these images for purposes other than security, should be severely punished,” Schumer added.

On being asked what he thought about the scanners, Schumer said he did not oppose their use, adding: “You need to balance security and privacy.”

Many security experts have suggested that a full-body scanner would have seen the explosive that, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who attempted to blow up a transatlantic jet on Christmas Day, had stitched into his underwear.

The scanners were recently unveiled at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to help security officials to better detect weapons and explosives.

The Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines give screeners an X-ray-like image beneath clothing to look for dangerous materials, including plastics. It can easily spot any non-metal objects hidden on the passenger’s body that would not be detected by the old-style scanners. (ANI)