Mobile X-Ray Van: Safety vs. Privacy

[blueangel06661]

So I was reading an article this morning about this van the federal government has at big sporting events and everything.

Atlanta – For many living in a terror-spooked country, it might seem like a great government innovation: Use vans equipped with mobile X-ray units to scan vehicles at major sporting events, or even randomly, for bombs or contraband.

While I think it's a great idea others are saying it's an "Invasion of privacy". This semi ticks a nerve because since when did insuring a mass amount of people are safe become a privacy issue via x-rays? Do people have any idea how much they are being tracked via internet, cellphones, and GPS? An x-ray van should be the least of their worries.

But news that the US is buying custom-made vans packed with something called backscatter X-ray capacity has riled privacy advocates and sparked internet worries about "feds radiating Americans."
"This really trips up the creep factor because it's one of those things that you sort of intrinsically think the government shouldn't be doing," says Vermont-based privacy expert Frederick Lane, author of "American Privacy." "But, legally, the issue is the boundary between the government's legitimate security interest and privacy expectations we enjoy in our cars."

Full story can be found here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100929/ts_csm/329052

Do you think this is a bad thing for the government to do? Or do you think they should continue it because it may save many lives?

[Eris]

It would be justified if they had legitimate reason to suspect crime. It's like searching your home. That is justified if and only if they have good indication that they would find something of interest.

While I think it's a great idea others are saying it's an "Invasion of privacy". This semi ticks a nerve because since when did insuring a mass amount of people are safe become a privacy issue via x-rays? Do people have any idea how much they are being tracked via internet, cellphones, and GPS? An x-ray van should be the least of their worries.

This is entirely different. You can choose how much to divulge on the internet, and all that tracking information can only be attained WITH A WARRANT. An x-ray van should be their biggest worry (together with the frivolous overuse of CCTV cameras).

[TomoyoSakagami]

All those gangsters better hide their piece somewhere else.

[blueangel06661]

It would be justified if they had legitimate reason to suspect crime. It's like searching your home. That is justified if and only if they have good indication that they would find something of interest.



This is entirely different. You can choose how much to divulge on the internet, and all that tracking information can only be attained WITH A WARRANT. An x-ray van should be their biggest worry (together with the frivolous overuse of CCTV cameras).

.... Not particularly..

Need to figure out where I am? Twitter tells you now..

Plus if I ever need to know where my best friend who is 5 hours away is.. No problem.. I can Via google. Sites can store your shizz and be able to trace you back so fast it's unbelievable.

[DOOM!]

...X-rays...
....
Or do you think they should continue it because it may save many lives?

Oxymoronic or sarcastic statement?

Oh, I'm all for it. Anyone (congressman, policeman, judge, paranoid citizen) willing to rape our privacy for such petty spur should be let to do so. Only on one condition: they should be constantly zapped in the crotch with those X-rays, to make sure we won't have to deal with their kind in the future.

[aether]

Oh come on x-ray's only show bones not the flesh so if people are into ghostly images of people then they have something wrong with them so theres no worry

[Eris]

.... Not particularly..

Need to figure out where I am? Twitter tells you now..

Plus if I ever need to know where my best friend who is 5 hours away is.. No problem.. I can Via google. Sites can store your shizz and be able to trace you back so fast it's unbelievable.

You can control that quite a bit with a bit of technical know-how. Besides, it's not an either-or situation. Corporations abusing your privacy doesn't make governments abusing your privacy any less bad of a thing.

Oh come on x-ray's only show bones not the flesh so if people are into ghostly images of people then they have something wrong with them so theres no worry

Backscatter X-ray imaging is quite different from medical X-ray imaging. Backscatter x-rays can see through clothes, but not flesh. They can essentially see you naked.

[Skylar1]

.... Not particularly..

Need to figure out where I am? Twitter tells you now..

Plus if I ever need to know where my best friend who is 5 hours away is.. No problem.. I can Via google. Sites can store your shizz and be able to trace you back so fast it's unbelievable.

That's assuming you choose to disclose that information. You have to opt-in on twitter for the 'currently located' feature. So really, it's you're decision whether or not your location becomes available to others.

[TomoyoSakagami]

I still don't see a problem with it though, I mean it's not like they're saying to use it 24/7, just places that could harbour dangerous equipment.

[Eris]

I still don't see a problem with it though, I mean it's not like they're saying to use it 24/7, just places that could harbour dangerous equipment.

If they know the location of the contraband, why can't they just search for it the old fashioned way?

[TomoyoSakagami]

If they know the location of the contraband, why can't they just search for it the old fashioned way?

Ah, that is a good point. Perhaps it's just an easier way to use the X-ray methods at large events, plus not to cause panic to anyone either?

Though yeah, a good old fashioned police raid hasn't been so wrong as of date.

[Skylar1]

If they know the location of the contraband, why can't they just search for it the old fashioned way?

Well, I think that it's more of a "time-saving" issue.

Imagine having to check by hand every single person coming through; it'd take forever.

[Eris]

Ah, that is a good point. Perhaps it's just an easier way to use the X-ray methods at large events, plus not to cause panic to anyone either?

Though yeah, a good old fashioned police raid hasn't been so wrong as of date.

I would be more alarmed at the thought of the police filming me naked because I happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Well, I think that it's more of a "time-saving" issue.

Imagine having to check by hand every single person coming through; it'd take forever.

... so they just subject them to arbitrary searches without their knowledge or consent instead.

[-GAZKUL-]

uh oh

[Anoleis]

Do you think this is a bad thing for the government to do? Or do you think they should continue it because it may save many lives?

I don't think it's a bad thing, but it could(and most likely would) be abused by the feds.

This is entirely different. You can choose how much to divulge on the internet

People always ask me how I know so much about them, and if they just paid attention to what they put on the internet they wouldn't need to ask~

Backscatter x-rays can see through clothes, but not flesh. They can essentially see you naked.

[aether]

Backscatter X-ray imaging is quite different from medical X-ray imaging. Backscatter x-rays can see through clothes, but not flesh. They can essentially see you naked.

Ah then yes we do have to worry about it but I'm sure its not a cheaply available device so theres nothing to worry about right?

[Eris]

Ah then yes we do have to worry about it but I'm sure its not a cheaply available device so theres nothing to worry about right?

Price certainly hasn't stopped it from being deployed in most airports in the western world.

[aether]

well to be honest thats useful after all we don't want terrorists boarding planes now do we

[Eris]

well to be honest thats useful after all we don't want terrorists boarding planes now do we

It's a false sense of security. If you make airplanes impossible to board, terrorists will stop attempting to board airplanes and blow other stuff up instead. It doesn't actually reduce the terror threat. Playing whack-a-mole with the terrorists isn't going to stop them, it just infringes on our privacy and liberties. Reasonable precautions must obviously be taken, but beyond that, the way of combating terrorism is by integration. If your country has an immigrant population that lives in poverty, then that is a breeding ground for antisocial behavior and anti-western sentiments. That is the cause of the problem. Unless the cause is fixed, the symptoms will never go away.

[aether]

Now you see this sort of talk annoys me 'infringes on our privacy' if you want to remain private stay at home otherwise when your out in public guess what YOU CAN BE SEEN!!

[Eris]

Now you see this sort of talk annoys me 'infringes on our privacy' if you want to remain private stay at home otherwise when your out in public guess what YOU CAN BE SEEN!!

What can normally not be seen, however is my naked body. And what I have in my pockets. And if I have any piercings covered by my clothes. All of this can be seen with backscatter x-rays.

[aether]

But if you have nothing to hide then there isn't a problem

[Eris]

But if you have nothing to hide then there isn't a problem

If I had nothing to hide, I would not be wearing any clothes.

[TomoyoSakagami]

Society - You can't please everyone.

[aether]

If I had nothing to hide, I would not be wearing any clothes.

No thats just common decentry I mean I'm not talking about creating nudist colony just saying would you rather be frisked or have a x-ray?