London, January 18: The independent Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has warned the British government that the full-body scanning of passengers at airports violates privacy laws and breaches race and religious discrimination legislation.
“Scanners have a negative impact on people’s right to privacy, particularly the disabled, older people and children,” an EHRC source told.
Britain has tightened airport security measures following a failed plot to blow up a US-bound plane on December 25.
As part of the new measures, the government has ordered full-body scanners at airports to search passengers.
EHRC Head Trevor Phillips has sent a letter to Home Office Secretary Alan Johnson warning that the full-body scanning would violate people’s privacy.
“We are talking about very intimate pictures,” explained the EHRC source.
“To be blunt, one could imagine a bunch of loutish security guards seeing some attractive women in the queue and all rushing into the office saying, ‘Let’s have a look’.”
The EHRC was established by the Equality Act 2006 and came into being on 1 October 2007.
It is classed as a non-departmental public body, meaning that it is separate and independent from Government but still accountable for its public funds.
“It is incredibly important that any security regime meets tests of efficacy, proportionality and equal treatment,” Chakrabarti said.
Profiling
The rights group warned that the use of scanners could also breach race and religious anti-discrimination laws.
“(The use of profiling was) discriminatory, contrary to domestic legislation and international standards, and is harmful to community relations,” an EHRC spokesman said.
Professor Anthony Glees, director of Buckingham University’s Center for Security and Intelligence Studies, said last month that Muslim travelers are expected to face extra questioning and searches at British airports.
The rights group Liberty said that the scanners would be used to profile against certain groups.
“It is incredibly important that any security regime meets tests of efficacy, proportionality and equal treatment,” Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti said.
“There may be some who would like to see red and green passenger channels replaced with black and white ones.
“However, a number of white convert bombers all over the world demonstrate that such an approach offends common sense as well as common decency.”
Two years ago, Dutch plans to introduce scanners at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam were frozen after warnings from the European Union over human rights violations.
-Agencies