The Fine Line Between Airport Screener and Child Pornographer

The London Guardian reports that routine use of full-body scanners at airports—Prime Minister Gordon Brown's response to the Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab's fizzled underwear bomb—appears to violate Britain's ban on child pornography. "Ministers now face having to exempt under 18s from the scans," the paper says, "or face the delays of introducing new legislation to ensure airport security staff do not commit offences under child pornography laws."

On Monday I discussed an Independent report suggesting that a scanner would not have detected the explosive powder in Abdulmutallab's underwear even if it had been used on him. Last summer I noted that indecent pictures of minors are the main thing U.S. border guards find when they seize travelers' computers.

[Thanks to Tricky Vic for the tip.]