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Opting out of the body scanner at Heathrow used to take 5 minutes. Today it was a 30 minute procedure including documenting a written reason for exercising my right of refusal and signing a document, a thread:
I came in through the dedicated Virgin upper class entrance, which has its own checkin, security and a different scanner. (Client paid expenses, don't hate :P) This is relevant because even though this experience sucked, I was treated better than anybody else would be.
When I saw folks getting scanned, I requested to opt out. They asked why, I said data privacy. I was asked to sit & wait. A manager was called. She asked why. Again, I said data privacy. "It doesn't store data," she says. "It's my right, yes?" She is not happy.
She said this new machine does random selection as you walk through to determine if you need a scan, so why don't I just go through and see if I even need to opt out. Seems weird since I can't confirm what actually happens when I walk through, but ok. It's the only way.
Surprise! I'm randomly selected. I smile, "Ok, now I opt out?!" No one else smiles. I'm asked to wait, again, then asked to take off shoes and point out my bags. Standard. They move my bags (with my passport) behind the glass for "safekeeping" and I'm asked to come with them.
"I don't request a private screening," I volunteer. "We only do private screenings now. Procedure." We walk a good 50m to a tiny room, they close & lock the door and I'm shown some paperwork. (This has NEVER happened before, and I've been opting out forever, all over the world)
They ask again why I'm opting out, I mention that I work with human rights organizations and am interested in changing security procedures around the world, and it seems like not many people opt out anymore, huh? *polite smile* She says by 2020 there will be no opt out. Silence.
They explain the first paper requiring me to write down a reason for opting out is for "data collection" and the one requiring a signature is a consent for the private search [I didn't ask for]. They are stapled together. This freaked me out, but I'm already on weird lists, so🤷♀️
The search was standard but 2x as long. They've set the metal detector so sensitively that it goes off literally everywhere. (Sadly, I am not made of metal. That would be cool tho) They lecture me on how the machines aren't connected to the internet, then tell me I'm free to go.
The bag search guy just does his job, he was really nice and kind of apologetic. He asks why I'd put myself through this; it seems like I might be the only person he's ever searched voluntarily. I ask him if he thinks privacy is a human right, he says he's never thought about it.
We chat for a while (it takes a WHILE...they fully unpack and scan everything) about why it's important people who "look like me" are proactive about privacy and security. He says he likes my style. I might have gotten through to bag guy. But I also have one more file somewhere.
TL;DR: I was made to feel like I was doing something wrong by exercising my right to refuse electronic search, and told that right will disappear in the next year. Everyone was professional about it. After all, it's just procedure. <fin>
