Gizmodo: TSA says saving images is impossible

Joel Johnson, over at Gizmodo, asked the Department of Homeland Security's public affairs office directly whether it is impossible for body scanner machines to save images.


They replied:

The machines in airports do not have the capability to save, print or store images. New software and hardware would need to be installed in order for this to be possible.

This doesn't square at all with the technical specifications described and partially reproduced in the EPIC memo from January (PDF link). Those stated that the machines were actually required to have the hardware and software to save and export images.

So what gives?

Personally I suspect weasel wording. Notice that they added "print" to the list (when they were asked about saving). The machines probably don't have printers, so it's technically true that new hardware and software would have to be installed for them to print the images.

Maybe I'm too cynical. But I doubt it.