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Patrick
Tessier
Welcome to the November
edition of Traveltalk
The Rising ‘Cost’ of Security
Security has been a prevalent issue amongst airline travel over recent years, especially as technology has developed to allow for new security measures.
One of the most recent introductions has been that of the full-body scanner, which allows for the body to be scanned to detect metal objects, explosives, and other items that breach security.
The downside to this technology is that it does not obscure a traveller’s private body parts.
Having already caused a stir in the European Union, lawmakers have deemed the technology to “have a serious impact on the fundamental rights of citizens”.
The non-binding resolution passed by the lawmakers has asked the EU’s executive commission to assess the economic, medical, and human rights of the scanners.
The scanners are already trialling in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide airports.
Images created by the scanner reflect that of a photograph’s negative, in that it is not very clear, but enough to reveal any potential security breaches. |
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This has coincided with the release of a survey commissioned by the Federal Government revealing that travellers would prefer for all security checks to be streamlined and measured by either the police or government.
Currently, private contractors are responsible for airport security screening.
The Screening Review Taskforce revealed that 87 per cent of travellers believed police or government agencies should be responsible for security screening.
It also found that private contractors currently responsible for security checks should at the very least be required to meet a strict list of standards and conditions.
The report states, “There is clearly a low level of knowledge about the responsibility for security screening, with less than a third of travellers indicating they thought that private contractors were responsible”.
“However, this low level of understanding does not align with expectations of who should be responsible, with only 8 per cent of all respondents indicating that private contractors should conduct security screening.”
Improved regulation and a cap on the number of screening agencies are some of the recommendations to come from the survey.
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With the introduction of full-body scanners and the fear that airport security may grow to a point where the invasion of human rights is an issue, it would seem that the control and standardisation of airport security screening is an issue at the forefront of the Government’s mind.
After all, at what ‘cost’ should we risk our own human rights when it comes to airport security?
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