What's Wrong with this Picture?
What’s wrong with this picture? Put quite simply, it’s a fake. The picture (minus the black boxes) has been gaining popularity ever since it was used on several popular web pages and blogs.The TSA Office of Information Technology (OIT) was able to determine that the original images used to make these pictures were taken from a stock photo website and doctored to mimic Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) images. The doctored images are nothing more than full frontal photos (hence the black boxes) with the colors inverted. The image of the gun and belt were superimposed. This can be done with any basic image editing software.
It’s obvious that the woman shown on the left is not the woman in the doctored photos on the right. Notice that the bracelet on the right wrist in the clothed image does not appear in the doctored images. Her arms and legs are also in different positions in the clothed photo. It can be argued that maybe the photo was taken before she entered an AIT machine. Even so, just like X-ray images, hair does not show up in authentic AIT images and faces are blurred with a privacy algorithm.
Please take a look at this blog post to see larger versions of the images below and video of what AIT images actually look like.
Thanks, Blogger BobTSA Blog Team
Labels: advanced imaging technology, backscatter, Blogger Bob, millimeter wave, TSA Blog

8 Comments:
At January 28, 2010 5:19 PM ,
Anonymous said...
...I am getting back in shape so that my stomach doesn't bulge when they take my picture...cant wait....
At January 29, 2010 7:40 AM ,
acuvue oasys said...
This is the first time I've actually seen these kind of images. I had no idea faces are automatically blocked/blurred. The person isn't even identifiable in the photos so those arguing about infringement of privacy, etc - please look at these again and be reasonable.
At January 29, 2010 3:16 PM ,
website designers said...
This is extremely interesting. I to have never seen this before and didnt realised faced are blurred in this process. Bookmarked.
At January 29, 2010 5:47 PM ,
O. Medina said...
With all the arguments relating to privacy, the TSA should have explained the privacy concerns, thusly: With the diverse opinions on the subject of personal privacy, some people fearing embarassment while others not caring, let us (TSA) say this: The TSA operative which is viewing the images is usually a mature female. And whether or not this TSA person is male or female, he or she is not allowed to poke his/her head out of the private, enclosed viewing booth to make a correlation of the image with the person just examined. (anyway, this is the procedure at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport where I was employed as a Transportation Security Officer for six years. I am now retired.) --- O. Medina
At January 31, 2010 6:19 AM ,
Anonymous said...
aliens!!
At January 31, 2010 12:27 PM ,
Anonymous said...
I have absolutely no problem when it comes to screening people. As long as it is for national security and safety everybody should be must be screened without exceptions, and if somebody got a problem with that they can deal with it when we done taking care of national security and safety.
At February 1, 2010 11:13 AM ,
Rachel said...
My first thought was similar to the 1st commenter. I'd better get into shape! Joking aside, this is a necessary type of screening. Perhaps if more people saw these images they'd be more comfortable.
At February 1, 2010 9:19 PM ,
Anonymous said...
Hello everyone.
To me, it is a matter of properly teaching the people (frequent fliers) about the process in a simplified schematic drawing, easily shown at a glance while waiting in line, and then, reinforcing that this new technology will speed up the clearance of daily passengers in an unintrusive, comprehensive and respectful way; this will limit the body cavity/strip searches on innofensive users and single out offenders.
Have a nice day.
Post a Comment
Thank you for leaving a comment at the Blog @ Homeland Security. Submitted Comments will be reviewed before posting. See more about our Comment Policy.
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home