Scanners 'could break porn law'

The Government is developing a code of practice for body scanner operators amid concerns the devices could threaten child protection laws. The Government is developing a code of practice for body scanner operators amid concerns the devices could threaten child protection laws. Campaigners have claimed the images taken by the controversial machines could breach legislation making it illegal to create indecent images of children, as well as threatening the privacy of other passengers. The technology is expected to be introduced at Heathrow and other hubs within weeks after Prime Minister Gordon Brown said it was "essential" to tackle a new terrorist threat. Terri Dowty, of civil rights group Action On Rights For Children, told The Guardian the scanners could breach the Protection of Children Act 1978, under which it is illegal to create an indecent image or a "pseudo-image" of a child. She said: "They do not have the legal power to use full body scanners in this way." Ms Dowty added that there was an exemption in the 1978 law to cover the "prevention and detection of crime", but the purpose had to be more specific than the security measures being proposed by the Government. Simon Davies of human rights campaigner Privacy International also said he feared scans of celebrities or of people with unusual body profiles could prove an "irresistible pull" for some employees, leading to their potential publication on the internet. A Department for Transport spokesman said: "We understand the concerns expressed about privacy in relation to the deployment of body scanners. "It is vital staff are properly trained and we are developing a code of practice to ensure these concerns are properly taken into account. "Existing safeguards also mean those operating scanners are separated from the device, so unable to see the person to whom the image relates, and these anonymous images are deleted immediately."(my view)-It does for kids aswell..pm's do not care,the child claim and rightfully so"Pedo"fact.........i am totally against this excuse for safety,they just want something to wank to and want to spy on us.....PERVERTS