A new Gallup poll released Monday showed that most Americans approve of airports using full body scanners on passengers at airport security checkpoints.
According to the poll, which surveyed 2,017 adults January 5-6, 78% of Americans approve of the idea of full body scans at airports. Only 20% disapprove.
In addition, 48% said they would not be uncomfortable at all undergoing a full body scan at an airport, while 19% said they wouldn't be too uncomfortable. Meanwhile, 10% said they would be very uncomfortable and 22% said they would be somewhat uncomfortable.
Men generally tended to be the most comfortable with the idea of full body scans, with 57% saying they would not be uncomfortable at all with the scans. Only 36% of women said they would not be uncomfortable at all with the scans.
Meanwhile, only 7% of men said they would be very uncomfortable with the scans compared to 15% of women who said they would be. In fact, in every category where some level of discomfort was addressed, more women expressed that they would be uncomfortable than men.
Americans also seemed to heavily favor full body screenings to pat-downs from airport security. According to the poll, 70% said they would be more uncomfortable with a pat-down, while only 22% said they would be more uncomfortable with a scan.
The poll comes a few weeks after Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab attempted to detonate a bomb aboard a plane bound for Detroit on Christmas Day. Abdulmutallab allegedly hid explosives in his underwear and was only unsuccessful in his attempt because his explosives failed to detonate.
Since the incident, several airports around the world have implemented full body scans, and it has been widely debated whether the U.S. should do the same.
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