What Do TSA's Airport Body Scanners Actually See When They Scan You?

Ever since the tragedy of 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration has been implementing more and more ways to enhance airport safety, including explosives detection systems, canine teams, and advanced imaging technology. When the advanced imaging technology — usually referred to as full body scanners — arrived in 2010 after a failed bombing attempt in 2009, people started to express privacy concerns. But what do full-body scanners actually show? 

According to the TSA, full body scanners are designed to detect possibly concealed weapons, explosives, and other threats that could be underneath layers of clothing. At the time, there were two models available: the millimeter wave scanner, which created a 3D image of the person, and the backscatter x-ray screener, which used x-rays that allowed whoever saw the image to see a pretty clear image of your nude body. While neither is dangerous to your health due to the low levels of radiation, another concern back in 2010 was focused on TSA agents getting a glimpse of you naked. 

After the backscatter X-ray screener was introduced, it did little to make the public feel safe due to its highly revealing X-rays. News stations covered the privacy concerns, with CBS reporting that 15% of Americans didn't want to be scanned, calling it a "virtual strip search." Vulnerable groups, such as the transgender community, stated that it could lead to "outing" and "humiliation," with TSA agents able to zoom in on genitalia and other parts of the body. 

Just a few years after they were implemented, TSA announced that backscatter x-ray screeners were being removed from the majority of airports, with millimeter wave scanners becoming the prominent scanner. TSA spokesperson David Castelveter said at the time, "They're not all being replaced. It's being done strategically. We are replacing some of the older equipment and taking them to smaller airports. That will be done over a period of time."

In 2024, Readers Digest interviewed TSA checkpoint advisor Eric Jenkins, who said that nothing x-rated was shown on body scans at the airport. He described the image as "a nondescript avatar" of the human body. Since the backscatter X-ray was largely removed from airports in 2013, body scanners of today don't show people's weight, height, or private areas. Instead, a generic image of a paper doll-like body is on display, with privacy software outlining areas that may need to be checked. TSA continues to implement new technology and guidelines to keep airports safe, including banning certain electronics and swabbing your phone if needed.