The Transportation Security Administration can now make a person undergo a body scan at the airport, even if the person requests a full-body pat-down instead.
The change in protocol was announced in a report dated Friday. Officials with the TSA said they will mandate body scans "as warranted by security considerations in order to safeguard transportation security."
Officials did not elaborate on the conditions which would disqualify someone from opting out of the scan.
The news came as agencies worldwide heighten security measures in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernadino, California.
According to the TSA, body scanners go far beyond the ability of agents to detect objects hidden beneath clothing that could lead to a threat "while improving the passenger experience for those passengers for whom a physical screening is uncomfortable."
The Agency noted officials don't store personally identifiable information from their screenings and use generic body images to show where potential "threat objects" are on a person.
