The TSA expects to have 1,000 body scanners in use at airport around the country by the end of next year (Creative Commons).

Gizmodo.com obtained the images through a Freedom of Information Act request and in turn posted the scans on their site.

The scans were made by U.S. Marshals in a Florida Federal courthouse, and while the low-resolution scans aren’t very detailed, the fact that they were even leaked raises concerns. 

“That we can see these images today almost guarantees that others will be seeing similar images in the future. If you’re lucky, it might even be a picture of you or your family,” Gizmodo said in the article accompanying the images.

Some fear that these same types of leaks could happen at the airport.

With the introduction of high-resolution body scanners in airports across the country, there has been a collective public outcry against the machines.

Opponents say the machines are an invasion of privacy and the x-rays they emit could pose health risks.

Controversy over the new security measures at US airports has been front in center in recent weeks, especially after a video of a San Diego man who was escorted from the airport after refusing to undergo a body scan or pat-down made its rounds on the internet.

However, according to the TSA, the images obtained in full-body scans are “automatically deleted from the system after it is cleared by the remotely located security officer.”

In addition, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the scanners don’t violate privacy and that the machines “cannot store, print or transmit images.”

Passengers who refuse to complete screening would not be allowed to board their flight and could face a fine up to $11,000 fine, although such a fine has yet to be imposed.

The TSA plans to have 1,000 full body scanners in use by the end of next year, but fliers could opt out and request a pat-down instead.

Opponents of the scanners have created a Facebook group called “National Opt Out of the Airport Scanners Day,” urging travelers to request the time consuming pat downs instead of going through the scanners on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving.

Reach Reporter Brooke Matthews here.