The privacy debate steps up a notch…

Judging by the firestorm whipped up after our recent coverage of full-body scanners, we’re guessing that Cheapflights’ readers aren’t going to like this one bit…

WeCU Technologies is said to be developing an airport scanner that can effectively read your mind, sniffing out whether or not you pose a security threat to fellow passengers.

If it all sounds a bit Orwellian that’s because it is, but I wouldn’t worry just yet. The system is in the early stages of development and its methodology seems rudimentary at best.

WeCU chief executive Ehud Givon revealed that the scanner works by randomly projecting images onto walls within the airport terminal, thereby triggering stress reactions.

“The logic is that people can’t help reacting, even if only subtly, to familiar images that suddenly appear in unfamiliar places,” the Associated Press explained.

“If you strolled through an airport and saw a picture of your mother … you couldn’t help but respond.”

But what images would they use? Well, “symbols associated with a certain terrorist group” apparently – meaning travellers could potentially be confronted by an unsettling montage of Al Qaeda snapshots. And that’s probably the last thing any of us want to see before boarding an airliner.

As for monitoring adverse reactions, the WeCU system relies on human observations coupled with a network of hidden cameras and sensors, once again raising the spectre of Orwell.

Mr Givon claimed that these biometric devices would be able to monitor everything from darting eyes to increased heartbeats, and from nervous twitches to laboured breathing.

In the UK, airport authorities are currently exploring a range of new security measures including biometric technology similar to type produced by WeCU. While we doubt this specific device will be a hit, it gives a curious insight into the direction that aviation security is headed.

© Cheapflights Ltd (Creative Commons image: Blyzz / Flickr)

This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 9:13 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.