Campaigners are worried that the machines create graphic images of children and that there need to be better safeguards in place to protect passengers’ privacy.

In the face of the concern, ministers now need to [...]]]> The quick installation of full body scanners at top British airports may breach some child protection laws that pertain to indecent images.

Campaigners are worried that the machines create graphic images of children and that there need to be better safeguards in place to protect passengers’ privacy.

In the face of the concern, ministers now need to consider excusing those under 18 from the scan machines or deal with delays that would come from developing new laws so that airport security staff do not break any laws that fall under the category of child pornography.

Additionally, ministers face new demands that safeguards priced at up to £80,000 are put in place to ensure that images from the body scanners do not get posted on the internet, particularly images of celebrities.

In Manchester a trial of scanners that were descript enough to reveal genitalia and breast enlargements was only permitted this past December when it was determined that those under 18 would be excused from the process.

This decision came in the wake of Action for Rights of Children advocate Terri Dowty warning that the scanners possibly violate the Protection of Children Act 1978 which states that an indecent image of a child cannot be created under any terms.

Dowty previously raised the same concerns with the Met police in 2006 when a trial was considered at the Heathrow Express rail service, and five years ago when the scanners were possibly going to be used as a part of an anti-knife campaign.