There have been lots of controversies regarding body scans yet and all these did induce Islamic hardliners to issue Fatwa even. But, if the current attitudes of people in United Kingdom are taken into account, the majority or 90% of them have started to accept body scans at airports. In accordance with a recently published poll by security group Unisys, the approval rate is far higher for the UK compared to many other countries. The poll involved Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the USA.
There have been other developments as well. Among the 10 other nations surveyed, as many as one in three people in Germany and Belgium would object to the machines. In the realm of Hong Kong, only 45% of people were in favour of the scanners, whereas Mexicans were even less enthusiastic. 76% of the population saying they were against the new technology. Again as per the survey, 91% of the UK's public would be willing to submit biometric data, for instance iris scans and fingerprints, to identify them when travelling by air. The poll did make a survey among 10,000 people, including 977 in the UK.
Commenting on this laudable development, Neil Fisher of Unisys, stated, together with airport operator BAA also reporting positive responses to the full-body scanners, it does appear that the early controversy surrounding the technology has died down. People are taking a pragmatic approach to their safety, added Fisher. But this enthusiasm of holidaymakers to accept the scanners hasn’t come as a surprise to the Association of British Travel Agents. What do they consider, the same is the maturity of public opinion.
It is to be noted that scanners were introduced to the UK following the attempted bombing of a plane over Detroit on Christmas day last year. The machines, at the moment, are in place at Heathrow and Manchester airports, in spite of objections by some groups considering the same do violate passengers' right to privacy.
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