A Full-body Invasion of Privacy - To Go!

Backscatter x-ray systems at airports are raising quite a stink as they're increasingly deployed nation-wide. But just wait until privacy advocates catch wind of the Z Backscatter Van, a mobile backscatter x-ray product meant to detect drugs, explosives and stowaways in parked vehicles.

The vans emit a narrow stream of x-rays, some of which are absorbed (by dense materials like steel) and some of which are "scattered" (by human bodies or crates of cocaine, for example). Clearly, this capability makes the Z Backscatter Van perfect for security, law enforcement and border control applications.

According to American Science & Engineering, the company that produces the vans, their largest client is the Department of Defense, which deploys the technology in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, select law enforcement agencies have also begun using them within the United States.