The Electronic Privacy Information Center has been suing the Department of Homeland Security because it refused to engage in the public rule-making process before it adopted RapeAScan machines as part of the primary screening at airports. DHS responded to EPIC’s suit the other day. While I think their response will be largely successful as written, [...]

A 59-year-old rape survivor with a pacemaker refused a groping by TSA agents at Austin Bergstrom airport, and was subsequently arrested, pushed to the floor, dragged, and banned from flying from the airport. While the TSA’s pornoscanners weren’t involved in this incident, it shows the newfound prevalence of TSA’s aggressive new groping strategy for anyone who doesn’t clear the first round of security checks.

Know your rights this travel season - download our “Know Your Rights” flier, and visit our TSA coverage page for more on pornoscanners and groping.

The new expensive backscatter x-ray scanners installed at airports are fairly worthless because they can’t stop a determined individual from smuggling contraband onto an airplane in a body cavity. But that’s not all; it appears the scanners can easily be defeated by a kitchen rolling pin and a roll of tape.

As we enter the busiest travel season of the year, there is no question that the TSA will be stepping up security measures across the country — including the use of the infamous ‘porno scanners’ and ‘enhanced’ patdowns.

Many of you will be enduring security checkpoints at airports over the next couple of weeks, so we wanted to remind everyone to download a free copy of our Know Your Passenger Rights flier before you travel.

Ignoring the anger and demonizing the angry does not service liberty or security, and it doesn’t do much for the causes of progressives or the Democratic Party, either.

There isn’t money for our crumbling infrastructure, but there is plenty of private sector money to create obscene machines and create a demand for them.

It looks like your average airline passenger isn’t the only one who is balking at the idea of an intense fondling by TSA agents. Everyone’s favorite airplane pilot, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, is majorly pissed off at the blatant invasion of privacy.

The last thing the TSA needs is a pile of crappy technology that isn’t even effective, that people refuse to use, right?

The “groping” technique was developed as a way to punish people into using the scanners — because there are $148 million more on the way. And just so nobody gets the idea to follow Tyner’s lead, the TSA is using threats and intimidation to guarantee the market for the porno scanners. Whether Tyner is prosecuted or not, people will hear about what happened to him and think twice before refusing to become fodder for their new machines.

This is a full-on outrage.

It’s time to investigate the TSA, not Tyner. Sign the petition demanding Congress investigate the TSA’s porno scanners, aggressive groping, and abuses of power.