A clutch of senators are upset at the U.S. Marshalls Service for storing more than 35,000 images taken from whole body imaging scans done at the entry points of a federal courthouse in Orlando, Fla.

In an August 19 letter, Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine)--the chairman and leading Republican of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee--say they're concerned over privacy implications of the stored images. They urge the Marshalls Service--a Justice Department law enforcement agency--to adopt privacy policies similar to the Transportation Security Administration's, which prohibits the storage and transmission of body scan images.   

Sens. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Thomas Carper (D-Del.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) also signed the letter.

News of the stored images broke earlier this month after the Electronic Privacy Information Center obtained acknowledgment of the images from the Marshalls Service through Freedom of Information Act litigation. EPIC has likened whole body image scanners to a "digital strip search" and seeks to prevent their use.

The Marshalls Service released a statement noting that it is not the TSA, which is part of the Homeland Security Department. The statement adds that the images captured in the Orlando courthouse "can in no way be described as images of 'naked' or 'undressed' people."

Rather, "they are pixilated, chalky and blurred images...the scanned images do not reveal anatomical details. One cannot tell if the subject is male or female," the statement adds.

The images come from scanners manufactured by Brijot Imaging Systems of Lake Mary, Fla. The company's website includes a sample image.

 For more:
- read the senators' letter
- see the Marshalls Service statement
- go to the EPIC announcement of the courthouse images

Related Articles:
Senator appropriators urge 'proven technologies' for border but mostly fund the DHS technology budget
TSA: Body scanners impact on privacy is 'minimal'
Airport body scanners okay with most U.S. travelers, says survey