I really fail to see why this scanner is even necessary.
In fact, it would encourage explosives to be put into the butthole.
How many people have smuggled porcelain guns on a plane and then shot up the place? None. Not saying it couldn't happen.
But, that's not really what this is about. It's about catching terrorists. They would need to be looking for explosives...which would also catch things like bullets. They already have "sniffer" machines that can detect explosives. They should have developed that technology more and used that.
But what do I know? I'm only approaching this as logically as possible. Most likely what happened here: the company lobbied the shit out of a some politicians and really sold their product as good. If anyone doesn't believe that, they are fools. That's exactly how these products get pushed out: lobbying and selling a politician on it.
Metal detectors? Check.
Ballistic compound "sniffers"? Check.
X-Ray machines that look through your stuff? Check.
Nothing else is needed...cept a larger number of definitions for the ballistics compound sniffer. Sticking it in your butthole shouldn't get past the sniffer, but it would easily get passed the "I see your junk" scanner.
I'm all for additional security. My personal comfort be damned. If it means my wife and kids and the dude next to me is much safer because of a little loss of privacy, so be it. However, I'm not for impracticality or wasted money.
That's $1 billion wasted on something lobbied to a politician, again. ****in' America.