TSA to Remove Rapiscan Body Scanners From Airport

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Fri Jan 18, 2013 at 11:33:55 AM EST
Tags: Rapiscan, Backscatters, AIT, TSA (all tags)

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TSA has ended its $5 million contract with OSI, which makes the Rapiscan Backscatter, one of two "people screening" machines using advanced imaging technology at airports.

OSI could not meet a deadline to come up with software that rendered the images generic. Instead, TSA will use machines by L3 Communications which produce generic passenger images. Here's the L3 page for the Provision II. L3 Communications announced a $245 million contract with TSA in November. Also in November, at a congressional hearing, allegations arose, which OSI denied, that it had falsified test results.[More...]

Here are TSA's page on Advanced Imaging Technology and on the privacy aspects.

(TSA had contracts to use machines with two types of technology: the backscatter and millimeter wave. OSI made the former and L3 Communications the latter.)

Prior Posts on Backscatters:

Dec. 06: TSA to have backscatter virtual nudity scanner in Phoenix airport by Christmas
Jan. 2010: Chertoff Argues for Full Body Scanners
August, 2010: Report: Full Body Scanners to be Deployed in Street Vans
July, 2011: Federal Appeals Court Rules on TSA Body Scanners

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TSA to Remove Rapiscan Body Scanners From Airport | 15 comments (15 topical)

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They can remove (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by Zorba on Fri Jan 18, 2013 at 12:00:42 PM EST

the L3 Communications scanners as well, as far as I'm concerned.
On the other hand, I suppose we should be grateful that some bozo at TSA hasn't come up with the idea to make us remove all of our clothing (instead of just coats, jackets, belts, shoes, etc) and walk to the gate nude. (Ooops! Maybe I shouldn't give them that idea!)
On the other, other hand, wasn't Rapiscan a client of Michael Chertoff's consulting group? If so, and if it still is, I hope that the company dumps The Chertoff Group and that Chertoff loses some money. Although, for all I know, they may now have L3 Communications as clients.

Here's something I didn't realize... (none / 0) (#6)
by desertswine on Fri Jan 18, 2013 at 08:13:45 PM EST

Look who the chairman and ceo of OSI, Inc is.

Type    Public
Traded as    NASDAQ: OSIS
Industry    Semiconductors
Founded    1987
Headquarters    Hawthorne, California, USA
Key people    Deepak Chopra
(CEO and Chairman)
Alan Edrick
(Executive VP and CFO)
Ajay Mehra
(President, Rapiscan Systems)
Victor Sze
(Company Secretary and General Counsel)
Revenue    US$595 million (FY 2010)
Net income    US$23.6 million (FY 2010)

: Would have been (none / 0) (#7)
by brodie on Sat Jan 19, 2013 at 10:43:29 AM EST

even better for my airport security peace of mind if the famous New Age guy was running the company, but that is not the case, a quick google confirms.