TSA’s 2025 Scanners Flag 8,000 Swamp Crotches, Atlanta to Frankfurt

TSA scanners flagged 8,000 sweaty groins in 2025, baffling travelers from Atlanta to Frankfurt as “swamp crotch” became a trending airport search. Why does sweat make TSA alarms go off? TSA’s millimeter wave tech pings on moisture, not just metal. As one traveler posted, “No piercings, no pockets—just a sweaty crotch.”
With “swamp crotch” entering official TSA lingo, travelers now Google “Why does TSA flag groin area?” and “How to prevent sweat triggering airport scanners.” France and Germany ditched these scanners, but the U.S. doubled down. Picture Atlanta’s busiest terminal: a line of midsized adults, thighs glued by humidity, clutching moisture-wicking underwear while one officer sighs, “It’s just sweat, ma’am.”
France and Germany banned these scanners after a record 8,000 false swamp crotch alarms, while U.S. agents now identify sweat as a top reason for groin-area pat-downs in 2025.