The Transportation Security Administration announced Wednesday that one type of body scanner deployed in as many as 78 airports nationwide will be revamped to no longer display an image of travelers' naked bodies, bowing to months of criticism over the privacy implications of the technology.

The announcement came despite a federal appeals court decision last week upholding the government's right to use the advanced imaging technology, or AIT, scanners. The scanners produce a virtual nude image of travelers before they enter the terminal areas. The software upgrade, which will be installed on all the 250-plus scanners employing millimeter wave technology, will instead show a "generic outline of a person," the TSA said.

First tested in 2007, the AIT scanners became the object of intense media and public scrutiny around Thanksgiving. In addition to privacy concerns, some experts maintained the scanners' safety was unproven, and that the technology was ineffective in detecting smuggled weapons and explosives. Travelers are permitted to opt-out of the scan, but are then subjected to an aggressive pat-down procedure.

What the TSA sees using backscatter technology.

"Our top priority is the safety of the traveling public, and TSA constantly strives to explore and implement new technologies that enhance and strengthen privacy protections for the traveling public," John Pistole, the TSA administrator said in statement. "This software upgrade enables us to continue providing a high level of security through advanced imaging technology screening, while improving the passenger experience at checkpoints."

The government announced it was testing the new software in February, and informed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in March, when TSA was fighting a lawsuit that sought to block the scanners from being used. The TSA did not immediately respond to questions of about when the rollout would be completed.

Another 250 other scanners use backscatter technology that produces an almost cartoon-like image of a traveler being screened. Those 250-plus machines will be tested with their own version of the new software, known as Automated Target Recognition, beginning in the fall, the government said.

The authorities said that passengers will be allowed to view their generic images as they cross the checkpoint into what is known as the "sterile" area of an airport. Today, TSA agents view the virtually nude images of passengers in a separate room, without providing a visual to the traveler.

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