Already used on more than a million passengers abroad, these special X-rays can catch all kinds of contraband.
"Regular weapons, guns, knives, boxcutters, but also unusual types of weapons, explosives, liquid explosives, jells."
The images will look like this, outlines of the body, not in detail. But weapons and other items do show up.
This technology has been very controversial. I went through a so-called backscatter machine. I was advised that if I didn't want my private areas shown, I should place a metal plate in my pants. I step just in front of the machine. Turn around. In just a few seconds, the moniter displaced my humble contours.
Now in this test, I'm playing the role of a would-be terrorist. I tried to hide a plastic lipstick container in my vest pocket. Busted. I sneak a sports drink bottle. Busted again. How about wires in a sealed sandwich bag hidden in my sock. On the moniter, they show up on my ankle. But the machines have limitations. When I pour water in a sealed sandwich bag, placed it inside my belt line and in a sock, you can barely see it. But one company behind this technology said trained screeners would detect it. And the Transportation Security Administration says they have other methods to detect liquids. When this came out. Privacy advocates called it a virtual strip search and they are not much more satisfied with the newer technology.
"Essentially they're putting a digital fig leaf on the image, this protects the image from what the operator will see, but the machine itself can still record all the details and store that information for use at later time. "
A TSA official tells CNN there won't be any hard drives to store the images and says no one will have access to pictures without the so-called fig leaf on them. From one passenger tested on the older machines.
"I've been through it over in Europe. "
In Phoenix a TSA official tells us the machine will be only used if more than a metal detector is required. And passengers will then get a choice between those machines and pat downs.
BRIAN TODD, CNN, Washington.