Great Britain and Holland have been using airport body scanners for some time and now the EU has set standards for their use throughout Europe. Will these guidelines make the scanners a more palatable security option in Europe than they were when the U.S introduced them?

While the United States began to implement the use of full body scanners soon after a thwarted bombing attempt using explosives hidden in underwear in 2009, the EU has been methodically evaluating the use of the scanners at EU airports amid concerns about health and privacy. New rules established by the European Commission now address those concerns, paving the way for new standards that all EU governments must comply with by mid-December.

The scanners, which can "see" through clothing, produce a very detailed image of the body being scanned. In order to address privacy concerns, the EU standards require that the face of the image produced be blurred and that no image be stored or copied. Additionally, no information identifying the passenger can be linked to the image and anyone reviewing the scanned images must be in a separate area away from the passenger who will have the choice of selecting a male or female viewer. Passengers will also have the right to refuse to undergo a full body scan and opt for a physical search or other approved alternate method instead.

Health concerns over the use of body scanners have been raised since their introduction. Particularly worrying are the cumulative effects of repeated exposures to x-rays by frequent travelers and crew members. Though studies have varied in their conclusions over any danger to the traveling public, the mere possibility of being subjected to multiple x-ray scans has put doubts into the minds of many flyers. Another scanner technology that uses radio waves to bounce off of the body to produce images is what European airports will be using to allay any health concerns. As with the latest scanners in the U.S., the machines in Europe will not provide any facial details. In fact, the scanners being deployed in the U.S. now replace the entire detailed image with a generic "stick figure" that only highlights areas of concern.

It remains to be seen how the European traveling public will accept the widespread use of full body scanners, even with health and privacy concerns addressed. Foremost on most travelers' minds is probably the question of effectiveness. Will the scanners be enough to keep them safe?