The Federal Trade Commission said it has reached a proposed settlement with Evolv Technologies due to allegations that the company "made false claims about the extent to which its AI-powered security screening system can detect weapons and ignore harmless personal items."
The company claims that its technology can screen for weapons in a noninvasive way. But federal officials say its claims are "misleading."
Evolv Technologies provides weapon detectors for over 1,000 schools, in addition to sports venues, hospitals, and casinos. The company says that its detectors are used to screen over 700,000 children and school visitors throughout the U.S. daily for weapons.
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The company also boasts partnerships with major sports brands, including the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.
The settlement requires Evolv to stop making unsupported claims that its product can detect weapons by using artificial intelligence. The proposed settlement would also allow schools to break their contract with Evolv without penalty.
"The FTC alleged that Evolv misrepresented that its Evolv Express system will detect all weapons; ignore harmless personal items without requiring people to remove them from their pockets or bags; detect weapons more accurately and faster than metal detectors; reduce false alarm rates; and cut labor costs by 70% compared to metal detectors by reducing the need for additional personnel," the FTC said.
Federal officials cited several security failures that led to weapons being used in schools. The FTC said that after a 2022 incident, school officials raised the sensitivity of the company's equipment, which then led to a 50% false alarm rate.
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Evolv said it disagrees with the FTC's allegations and admits no wrongdoing.
“We worked collaboratively with the FTC to resolve this matter and are pleased that the FTC did not challenge the fundamental effectiveness of our technology and that the resolution does not include any monetary relief. We appreciated the opportunity to demonstrate for the FTC our Evolv Express system and our customers’ diligence in researching, testing and ultimately deploying our solution in myriad environments,” said Mike Ellenbogen, Interim CEO of Evolv Technology. “Our top priority is the safety of people and the communities we serve. To be clear, this inquiry was about past marketing language and not our system’s ability to add value to security operations.”
Several major school districts, including Atlanta's public school system, use the technology to screen students. Columbus City Schools, Ohio's largest school system, told WBNS-TV it still has confidence in Evolv's detectors.
"Since our implementation [in] February 2023, it has reduced the number of guns collected or attempting to be brought in to our high schools by students and visitors as this was the No. 1 concern. To date, we do not have any record of any guns that have been brought into our high schools or detected after processing through the EVOLV systems," Columbus City Schools said in a statement to WBNS.
