Infrared photography can create some very artful pictures. ... But one odd side effect of infrared photography is that, in some cases, it can see right through clothing. Not always, and the clothes have to be pretty thin in the first place. No, this is not a camera built for pervs.

Can thermal scanners see through clothes?

The legal discussion got derailed by the technical belief that such cameras can see inside buildings or under your clothing -- which would be a huge invasion of privacy. But they can't do that. Infrared cameras can only see the outsides of things, like normal cameras.

What can infrared see through?

Infrared radiation will pass through thin plastic, allowing a thermal camera to detect anything behind it, although visible light will be blocked. Most plastics allow IR to pass through - thicker plastics, on the other hand, will block infrared radiation.