A recent viral post on X (formerly known as Twitter) has reignited a long-standing wave of concern and disbelief over the extent of detail that airport security X-ray scanners used to capture. The image shared in the post reminded many travelers just how intrusive these scanners once were—bringing back discomfort that some had long buried or forgotten.

For most frequent flyers, the airport security routine has become second nature: You empty your pockets, remove your belt, shoes, jewelry, and place your electronics in separate trays. Then, you step into a scanning booth with your arms raised as the machine performs a rapid 360-degree scan. Despite the familiarity of the process, many still find the experience unsettling. The cold, mechanical hum of the scanner and the sterile environment of airport security can evoke feelings that border on dystopian.

What’s more alarming, however, is what those machines used to see—and what passengers didn’t know they were revealing.

While most of us assume that these scanners simply detect metallic or suspicious non-biological objects, and that our bodies appear as little more than vague outlines, that wasn’t always the case. A post by user @greendaylover44 shocked social media when they resurfaced an image purportedly showing a high-resolution scan from an older TSA machine. The scan revealed a fully nude image of a human body, clearly showing anatomical details most people would expect to remain private—even in a security context.

X / @greendaylover44
In 2020, @greendaylover44 shared what appeared to be an unfiltered image from a Rapiscan machine, once used in U.S. and U.K. airports. The post quickly went viral, sparking outrage and disbelief among users.

The image acted as a wake-up call for many, especially those who had assumed that these scans were anonymized or heavily pixelated to respect personal privacy. In reality, some earlier machines were capable of capturing disturbingly detailed body images—raising major questions about consent, privacy, and the balance between security and personal dignity.

To be clear, these images come from a now-discontinued generation of scanners developed by a company called Rapiscan. These full-body scanners were introduced after heightened security concerns post-9/11, with the intent of detecting non-metallic weapons and explosives that traditional metal detectors could miss. While the goal was safety, the execution left many feeling violated once the capabilities of the machines became widely known.

The public backlash against these hyper-detailed scans was both swift and intense. Civil liberties organizations, privacy advocates, and concerned travelers pushed back, arguing that no one should be subjected to what effectively amounted to a digital strip search in order to board a plane.

In response to the mounting criticism, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) took action. By 2013, the TSA ended its contract with Rapiscan, removing these invasive machines from U.S. airports. They were replaced with newer models that use a technology called Automated Target Recognition (ATR), which displays generic, cartoon-like body images with highlighted areas when potential threats are detected. These updated systems maintain security without compromising passengers’ bodily privacy.

Airports in the U.K. and other countries also followed suit, implementing more privacy-conscious scanning technologies in response to public outcry and legal pressures.

While privacy concerns surrounding airport security haven’t disappeared entirely—and likely never will—the situation today is far less intrusive than it once was. For modern travelers, this means you can step into a scanner without worrying that an airport worker is seeing your body in intimate detail.

Still, the resurfaced post serves as a sobering reminder: technology can advance faster than public awareness, and transparency around how it's used—especially in sensitive spaces like airports—is crucial. The next time you pass through airport security, you might find yourself thinking twice about what’s on the other side of that scanner.