David G. Savage reports: The government has promised more and better security at airports after the near-disaster Christmas Day, but privacy advocates are not prepared to accept the use of full-body scanners as the routine screening system at the nation’s airports. “We don’t need to look at naked 8-year-olds and grandmothers to secure airplanes,” Rep….
Category: Surveillance
Ca: Privacy boss pans scans
Michael Platt reports on Alberta Privacy Commissioner Frank Work’s comments on airport body scanners and where the technology is going. There are some great quotes in the article: “The system is still prone to failure, so let’s say the next guy packs his ass with however many grams of (plastic explosive) he can shove up…
UK: Home secretary: ID register contains NI numbers
Home secretary Alan Johnson has confirmed that the National Identity Register contains National Insurance numbers and answers to ‘shared secrets’. In a revelation that is likely to intensify the arguments over the privacy implications of the database, Johnson claimed the NI numbers have been included to “aid identity verification checks for identity cards and, in…
War Blogger May Sue Over Handcuffing At Seattle Airport
Declan McCullagh writes: A blogospheric flap complete with threats of legal action has arisen after Michael Yon, the popular war blogger and former Green Beret, said he was detained upon returning to the United States and asked about how much money he makes every year. Yon posted on Facebook on Tuesday that he was handcuffed…