Anyone who’s ever tried to fit a week’s worth of clothes into a carry-on knows the feeling of dread when it’s time to go through airport security. You start wondering what exactly those scanners can see—and hope you won’t be asked to unpack everything in front of a line of impatient travelers.But what most people didn’t realize is that for a while, airport security staff were able to see a lot more than just what was inside your luggage. In fact, the level of detail in early body scanners left passengers shocked when they found out what was visible.
The story of these scanners has resurfaced online, and many are still finding it hard to believe that this technology ever made it past the testing phase.
Even today, it feels awkward enough standing in those glass-walled scanners trying to follow instructions like you’re posing in a strange game show. But back in the early 2010s, the introduction of the infamous Rapiscan X-ray machines made that experience even more uncomfortable for travelers.The technology was rolled out across major U.S. airports by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and sparked major backlash for how much it revealed. The images these machines produced showed a level of physical detail that many found deeply invasive and unnecessary for airport security.
Officials claimed the scanners were brought in after the 2009 Christmas Day bombing attempt as part of a broader effort to improve passenger safety. However, the rollout quickly raised questions about how much privacy passengers should be expected to give up for security.
At the time, one user summed up their feelings with a simple comment: “I’ll just drive everywhere, thanks.” Another called the entire process “security theater,” implying it was more about appearances than safety. Someone else took a more humorous approach, joking: “This is airport security, not OnlyFans.”The criticism only grew louder, and by 2013, the TSA finally decided to pull the scanners from airports nationwide. The main issue was that the machines couldn’t meet updated privacy regulations requiring new software to protect passenger images.
Specifically, the scanners were not compatible with Automated Target Recognition (ATR) software, which would have replaced those detailed, full-body visuals with a generic, less revealing outline that still highlighted security concerns.
Unlike the old models, today’s scanners don’t produce detailed images of passengers’ bodies. Instead, they rely on generic outlines and advanced sensors to detect potential threats while preserving people’s privacy.Shawna Malvini Redden, a researcher and author of 101 Pat-Downs, explained to Reader’s Digest: “Early versions of the scanners came out without any privacy protections. Now, machines generate generic images instead of the passenger’s unique image.”
For many travelers who weren’t aware of what those early machines could actually see, learning about them now has come as quite a surprise. Social media users have expressed shock and disbelief after seeing examples of the old scans.
One stunned user wrote: “I thought X-ray meant you could only see bones,”—a reaction many others seem to share after realizing just how revealing those machines really were.
