Critics say body scanners show too much

WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- Privacy advocates say they've launched a campaign against the use of whole-body imaging scanners being tested in U.S. airports.

Homeland security officials insist the machines save time and improve safety but critics say they expose travelers to a virtual strip search.

"People shouldn't be humiliated by their government in the name of security," nor should they trust their images will be kept private, Chris Calabrese, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union, told CNN in a story published Monday.

The ACLU and 42 other privacy groups have begun a campaign to get travelers to speak up against use of the machines, 40 of which are now being tested in 19 U.S. airports. The machines cost $170,000 each.

The groups want the technology suspended until the Transportation Security Administration develops a concise policy on their use, including privacy safeguards, said Lillie Coney, a spokeswoman for the Electronic Privacy Information Center.