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People share same response after discovering what airport X-ray scanners see when you walk through them

Home> Lifestyle> Travel

Published 16:42 19 Apr 2025 GMT+1

People share same response after discovering what airport X-ray scanners see when you walk through them

The Rapiscan Secure 1000 scanners made us all feel insecure

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

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People are thinking the same thing after finding out what these old airport security scanners used to get up to.

After the failed 'underwear bombing' of 2009, airports across the US controversially introduced the Rapiscan Secure 1000 scanners.

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to bomb a plane on Christmas Day after concealing plastic explosives in his boxers on a Northwest Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

The attack was prevented by passenger intervention and Abdulmutallab, who had connections to Al-Qaeda, was sentenced in 2012 to multiple life sentences without parole.

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The aftermath, though a lot less serious, was just as terrifying when airport security brought in the Rapiscan scanners.

174 of them were reportedly installed across 30 US airports, costing $180,000 a pop.

And in the UK, 10 of the country's largest airports also had them back in 2013.

Designed by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to detect concealed threats, it ended up raising significant privacy concerns due to its near-nude imaging.

There was basically a full 'nude' X-ray of each passenger who went on board.

By June 2013, TSA had no choice but to remove the tech from airports because of the backlash.

Their parent company OSI Systems said ending the TSA contract would cost it about $2.7 million, at the time.

Meanwhile, X-ray scans from the old Rapiscan machines have resurfaced on social media, and it appears viewers are thinking along the same lines.

"I feel sorry for them when they see me," one person commented, as a second penned: "Omg, how terrifying for them.

The scanners were not a good idea (TSA)
The scanners were not a good idea (TSA)

"Just don't tell me that you have this or I will never go through, even I would not want to see me this way."

"Don't worry; no one is interested in our black-and-white flabs; that's not very appealing," someone else joked.

"Never knew this kind of X-ray vision was possible," a fourth added.

Well, the agency confirmed at the time that they were, indeed, getting rid of them.

A statement read: “The TSA has strict requirements that all vendors must meet for security effectiveness and efficiency.

"Due to its inability to deploy non-imaging Automated Target Recognition (ATR) software by the Congressionally-mandated June 2013 deadline, TSA has terminated part of its contract with Rapiscan.

"By June 2013 travellers will only see machines which have ATR that allow for faster throughput.

"This means faster lanes for the traveller and enhanced security. As always, use of this technology is optional."

Featured Image Credit: X

Topics: Travel, Weird, Terrorism, Twitter

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

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@Anish_Vij

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