Public 'happy with body scanners'

The majority of the public support the scanners
12 April 2012

As many as 90% of the UK public are happy to use the new full-body scanners at airports, according to a poll.

Acceptance of the scanners, being rolled out at British airports, is far higher in the UK than in any other of the 11 countries in the survey by IT company Unisys.

As many as one in three people in Germany and Belgium would object to the cameras, the poll of 10,000 people, including 977 in the UK, found.

Only 45% of people in Hong Kong supported the use of the new scanners, while support was even lower in Mexico, with only 24% in favour.

The survey also showed that 91% of the UK public would be willing to readily submit biometric data, such as iris scans and fingerprints, to identify them when travelling by air.

Unisys global security solutions vice president Neil Fisher said: "With airport operator BAA also reporting positive responses to the full-body scanners, it appears that the early controversy surrounding the technology has died down and people are taking a pragmatic approach to their safety.

"The question is has the country done enough to subvert another terrorist plot? What we have done so far is react to threats as they occur, rather than take a holistic view of the threat."

The poll also revealed that 87% of the public were worried about falling victim to identity theft, while 55% were concerned they would not be able to meet their essential financial obligations.

In the UK, the biggest concern about finances was among 25-34 year old professional people in southern England. Overall, women were more worried about money than men.

The poll involved Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the USA.

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