Privacy-enhanced Travel Clothing Hides Private Parts During Full-body Scans
Betabrand announced the release of Privates, a new line of privacy-enhanced travel clothing that will protect travelers’ privacy from invasive security screening technology.
Privates T-shirts and boxers shield your body from the Transportation Security Administration’s advanced imaging technology, ensuring that intrusive images of your “privates” will not be scanned or recorded by airport body scanners. Comfortable and attractive, Privates are worn like normal clothing and will not attract unnecessary attention from TSA employees.
“People are afraid of airport scanners for good reason,” said Steve Russell, security and privacy expert and the designer of Privates. “Who wants TSA employees looking at, and possibly keeping records or scans of, your naked body, like what happened recently at a Florida federal courthouse? But ‘opting out’ is even worse. Enhanced pat downs are uncomfortable, awkward and can border on molestation.”
Privates clothing is treated with a specialized mix of metallic inks and other materials, and printed with a unique “interference” pattern. The result blocks airport body scanners but will not trigger a metal detector or prompt an enhanced pat-down by TSA operators.
“The secret is in the optimized application of scanner-blocking materials,” Russell explained. “While the pattern and materials are more than enough to obscure and protect your ‘privates’ from prying eyes, they won’t show up with the intensity or structure of a hidden object—something that would get a traveler pulled out of line.”
Other products that claim to protect passengers’ privacy from advanced imaging technology use metal stickers or patches. However, these products will show up on a scan as unknown objects hidden under a person’s clothing, triggering an enhanced pat-down or even more invasive screening procedures.
Only Privates blocks airport body scanners in a way that will not get travelers pulled out of line. Privates’ unique interference pattern ensures that scanner operators do not confuse a modest, privacy-minded traveler with someone hiding an object under their clothes.
Comfortable, fashionable and machine-washable, Privates are 100 percent cotton.
Intrepid passengers can sign up now to join the Privates Alpha Group at the Betabrand website http://betabrand.com/betalabs/privates-underwear.html. Only 50 travelers will get to be a part of this elite group of test-pilots. They’ll receive a special prototype pair of Privates Underwear to test-pilot, plus two pairs of production underwear when Privates takes flight. Best of all, they’ll get the fame and satisfaction that comes with test-piloting an important product into existence. Privates will be available generally in early 2011.