Airport security pics by themselves are bad enough.

Does airport security really need pics to protect individuals from national security threats and terrorists?

Even people who advocate the use of security pictures in airports intend them to be used to identify known terrorists, and prevent people from the No Fly List from flying and potentially endangering lives.

Many advocates feel that the use of photographs to compare passengers with individuals from the No Fly List is unconstitutional, and that airport security doesn't warrant the infringement of privacy represented in taking and storing these pictures.

Because of this sensitivity, many advocates are quite militant about the way that photos are taken and stored for airport security functions.

Passenger photos are not to be retained, although some people feel that these photos are linked to a government database to track who is flying, when.

Even the staunchest airport security fanatics are sensitive about new airport scanning technology, though.

Airport security pics are nothing compared to the newest scanning technology: airport security scanners that create 3D images of the body.

These images are so lifelike that the subject is said to appear almost as if he or she is naked.

AIRPORT SECURITY SCANNER A VIOLATION OF CIVIL LIBERTIES

FROM PHOTOS TO X-RAYS

The requirement for airport security pics seems relatively reasonable and even mild compared to new technology being rolled out in some airports. A handful of airports currently have whole body scanning machines that actually scan under clothes, and even reveal underwear.

For all intents and purposes, subjects in these whole body scanners look completely naked.

While the program is currently voluntary, this is one area in which the government is completely infringing on American civil liberties. It is absolutely unacceptable that the government is implementing scanners that essentially enable airport security personnel to see subjects completely unclothed.

Not only does this unethical 3D imaging machine display an image of a virtually naked passenger, but it also displays private medical devices, such as catheters or other personal medical devices. The blatant display and viewing of these devices is a clear violation of privacy.

The need for airport security is real, and scanners that can detect guns and other weapons are useful devices. However, the level of invasiveness of these whole body scanners is completely unacceptable, and the American people should not be subject to such an undignified and unlawful search.

FULL BODY SCANS FALL INTO A GRAY AREA OF UNLAWFUL SEARCH AND SEIZURE

The Constitution protects American citizens from unlawful search and seizure. While many people interpret this clause to extend to personal residences, the language in the Constitution specifies that even in their persons, people are protected from unlawful search.

Airport security personnel have no reason to suspect that every single person boarding a flight warrants examination. The vast majority of people who travel every day are innocent American citizens, and the unlawful search aspect of these security scans is a violation of constitutional rights.

Most people are willing to submit to airport security pics. However, the extremely invasive nature of these full-body 3D image scans is a blatant violation of civil liberties. Not only is it extremely unethical and a violation of privacy to display images of people nearly naked, the scan violates unlawful search tenets.