The Controversy: Airport Security, Privacy Rights, and Social Studies

This essay delves into the ongoing debate surrounding airport security measures and the privacy rights of individuals. It begins by outlining the heightened security protocols implemented in airports, particularly after the 9/11 attacks, and emphasizes the role of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in ensuring collective security. The essay then shifts its focus to the privacy rights of passengers, discussing the various screening procedures, including baggage checks, x-ray scans, and the Secure Flight Program, and the potential for these measures to infringe upon individual liberties. It highlights instances of harassment and discrimination faced by travelers and underscores the importance of upholding privacy rights. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need to balance security concerns with the protection of individual privacy, asserting that while airport security is crucial, it should not come at the expense of fundamental human rights. The essay uses several sources to support the arguments.

Running head: SOCIAL STUDIES
Social Studies
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SOCIAL STUDIES
Introduction
There have been many controversies between the priorities over two very important
things and those are collective security and the privacy rights. This controversy can be better
seen in the airport security in different cities. The common believed notion is the fact that the
privacy rights of a person are more important than the entire collective security. It has been seen
multiple times that the terrorists export and import weapons and the smugglers do the same with
the prohibited drugs. In this paper, the controversy between these two facts will be discussed
properly indeed. It would require much research on the privacy rights and collective security at
the airport.
Collective security at airport
The airports are considered to be very sensible places as millions of people come and go
from one city to other. This is the reason the collective security has been tightened in the airports
of the big cities. The incident of 9/11 has shown that the terrorists had captured the airplanes and
crashed the World Trade Center to dust completely in the year 2001. This is the very reason of
tightening the airport security in the big cities. The main purpose of tightening this security is to
keep the common people safe.1
The USA congress had passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act as they did
not want to take any more risks regarding that. They had also set up the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA).2 They had employed the federal employees to take over the charge of the
airport security. There are some methods by which the collective security measures are taken in
1 Ashford, Norman, Pierre Coutu, and John Beasley. (2013). Airport operations.
2 Lum, Cynthia, Peter Zachary Crafton, Rebecca Parsons, Dale Beech, Tarren Smarr, and Michael Connors. (2015)
"Discretion and fairness in airport security screening." Security Journal 28, no. 4: 352-373

2SOCIAL STUDIES
the airports.3 These are the screening the baggage of the passengers at the time of immigration, x-
ray screening on the bags that will be carried on by the passengers, they use the metal detectors
for the security of the passengers.4 Another way of collective security is the Secure Flight
Program, which includes the prescreening of the names of the passengers and comparing them
with the watch-list provided by the airlines. These things sometimes become to be very much
harassing for some of the passengers. Some of them even feel that their privacy rights have been
interfered.5 This is why they raise the prominent questions about the security checking at the
airports. This factor really needs to be highlighted as instances have been found when the
security often harasses and embarrasses some dignified people from other countries in the name
of security checking.6
Privacy rights at airports
3 Cardwell, Diane. (2014) "At Newark airport, the lights are on, and they’re watching you." New York Times.
4 De Lange, Robert, Ilya Samoilovich, and Bo Van Der Rhee.(2013) "Virtual queuing at airport security
lanes." European Journal of Operational Research 225, no. 1: 153-165.
5 Hall, Rachel. (2015) The transparent traveler: The performance and culture of airport security. Duke University
Press
6 De Lange, Robert, Ilya Samoilovich, and Bo Van Der Rhee.(2013) "Virtual queuing at airport security
lanes." European Journal of Operational Research 225, no. 1: 153-165.

3SOCIAL STUDIES
In this section the aspect of the privacy rights would be discussed for the better
understanding of the whole scenario. It is an important matter that the checking procedure in
various countries have increased globally after the 9/11 attacks and the recent terrorist attacks in
the counties like UK, Belgium and France.7 These include the various security procedures,
interviews and screenings at different levels. Many international travelers have always asked
about their exact rights of privacy in the airports while going through a security check. Their
intention is to know about the ways they can escape the harassment that is being executed at
them.8
It is a very important thing to know that the government officials or the law enforcement
officers cannot stop and detain any person just on the basis of their nationality, race or skin color.
This is absolutely illegal and punishable offence to be executed on those government officials.
The point of views of religion, gender, and ethnicity will also have to be discussed in this case as
well. If the travelers feel by any means that they are discriminated by the security checking
officials, they can complain to the airport authorities or share their feedback for redress from
different government departments.9 There are several types of body scanning at the airports
nowadays like the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT), Whole Body Imaging (WBI) scanners
and the Full-body scanners.
7 Mitchener-Nissen, Timothy, Kate Bowers, and Kevin Chetty. (2012) "Public attitudes to airport security: the case
of whole body scanners." Security Journal 25, no. 3: 229-243
8 Tirosh, Yofi, and Michael Birnhack. (2013) "Naked in front of the machine: does airport scanning violate
privacy." Ohio St. LJ 74: 1263.
9 Tirosh, Yofi, and Michael Birnhack. (2013) "Naked in front of the machine: does airport scanning violate
privacy." Ohio St. LJ 74: 1263.

4SOCIAL STUDIES
The travelers can address the people at the security check point to for other alternative
scanning systems if they have any personal issues or physical problems regarding that particular
scanning procedure. If a female traveler is searched and scanned by the male security officers, it
is obviously not fair and interfering in the rights of those people. So, they can request the pat-
down procedure to be conducted by the security officers of the same gender. The travelers can
also expect a private screening or scanning during anytime. If the airport authorities do not have
that advantage, the travelers have the right to protest against it and ask it to be arranged very
soon.10 When the pat-down process is going on, the passengers can ask for the chairs to sit. The
travelers can also disclose to the person about the pain or the injuries he or she had earlier
received. This would help the security personnel from touching or pressing that injured part of
the body.11
These things mean that airport security checking is indeed necessary but the
privacy rights of the people will also have to be remembered as well. The security personnel
cannot just inflict their decisions on the passengers and give the excuse of the laws and
regulations of the security checking.12 The first priority should always be on the privacy rights of
the passengers. The collective security checking will obviously be done but the privacy rights of
the passengers should not be hampered at any cost. These things will have to be kept in mind
since the privacy of any human being should not be interrupted by anyone.
10 Cardwell, Diane. (2014) "At Newark airport, the lights are on, and they’re watching you." New York Times.
11 Mitchener-Nissen, Timothy, Kate Bowers, and Kevin Chetty. (2012) "Public attitudes to airport security: the case
of whole body scanners." Security Journal 25, no. 3: 229-243
12 Elias, Bart. (2012) "Airport Body Scanners: The Role of Advanced Imaging Technology in Airline Passenger
Screening." Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.

5SOCIAL STUDIES
Conclusion
This paper can be concluded by saying that the privacy rights of the human beings are of
the first priority. This should not be compromised with anything. The collective security check in
the airports has been increased due to the fear of smuggling rackets and terrorism activities.
However, there is always a way for retaining the privacy rights of the human beings. It can only
be said that the human beings should be permitted with their privacy rights and this should not be
interrupted for the excuse of the airport security check.
Bibliography
Ashford, Norman, Pierre Coutu, and John Beasley. (2013). Airport operations.

6SOCIAL STUDIES
Cardwell, Diane. (2014) "At Newark airport, the lights are on, and they’re watching you." New
York Times.
De Lange, Robert, Ilya Samoilovich, and Bo Van Der Rhee.(2013) "Virtual queuing at airport
security lanes." European Journal of Operational Research 225, no. 1: 153-165.
Elias, Bart. (2012) "Airport Body Scanners: The Role of Advanced Imaging Technology in
Airline Passenger Screening." Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Hall, Rachel. (2015) The transparent traveler: The performance and culture of airport security.
Duke University Press,
Lum, Cynthia, Peter Zachary Crafton, Rebecca Parsons, Dale Beech, Tarren Smarr, and Michael
Connors. (2015) "Discretion and fairness in airport security screening." Security Journal 28, no.
4: 352-373..
Mitchener-Nissen, Timothy, Kate Bowers, and Kevin Chetty. (2012) "Public attitudes to airport
security: the case of whole body scanners." Security Journal 25, no. 3: 229-243.
Tirosh, Yofi, and Michael Birnhack. (2013) "Naked in front of the machine: does airport
scanning violate privacy." Ohio St. LJ 74: 1263.