Critics slam new airport scanner

NEW YORK, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A new U.S. airport scanner called a backscatter X-ray is drawing fire from critics who call it another blow to personal privacy.

CBS says X-rays penetrate clothing of the passenger standing in front of the scanner, generating a silhouette-like image.

A representative of the company that makes the machine says it is a key to finding weapons missed by metal detectors and traditional X-rays.

But, critics called it a digital strip-search after earlier versions were explicitly revealing. The new version is said to be not so graphic.

The backscatter will be tried out in Phoenix and, at first, will be voluntary, officials say.