FTC Investigates Evolv for False Claims on Weapons Detectors

The Federal Trade Commission recently announced that it is taking action against Evolv Technologies, a weapons detection company based in Massachusetts, for engaging in deceptive practices. The FTC claims that the company made false claims and misrepresented the capabilities of their detectors.

This action follows a recent investigation by NBC 5, which highlighted limitations in Evolv’s scanners, including instances where they failed to detect certain weapons. The FTC conducted its investigation over several months and found that Evolv had been misleading customers with its marketing practices.

In addition to the FTC’s investigation, Evolv is also cooperating with a Securities and Exchange Commission probe and is facing a lawsuit from investors who allege that they were misled about the capabilities of the scanners.

Evolv’s Express weapons detectors are used in various locations, including professional sports stadiums and school districts across the United States. The FTC criticized Evolv in its federal court filing, stating that the company made unsupported claims about the superiority of its technology compared to traditional metal detectors. The FTC also noted that the effectiveness of Evolv’s scanners depends on the sensitivity level set by the user, with higher sensitivity levels resulting in more false alarms.

As part of a proposed settlement agreement, Evolv is now prohibited from making certain claims about its detectors’ capabilities and must offer schools the option to cancel their contracts within 60 days of receiving notice from the FTC.

Evolv responded to the allegations by stating that they disagree with the FTC’s claims but have chosen to settle the matter to focus on their mission of protecting lives through innovation. The company emphasized that the inquiry did not challenge the core effectiveness of its products, including the use of artificial intelligence. Evolv will be offering a limited number of K-12 education customers the option to cancel their contracts during the specified period.

The recent announcement by the FTC comes after years of scrutiny about Evolv’s scanners and incidents that occurred in schools where the devices were installed. Previous investigations by NBC 5 found incidents involving weapons that went undetected by Evolv scanners in various schools, raising concerns about their effectiveness.

In response to NBC 5’s request for information, some school districts that purchased Evolv scanners shared data showing instances where the devices detected weapons but also produced false positive alerts for harmless objects.

Overall, the FTC’s action against Evolv Technologies underscores the importance of transparency and accuracy in marketing practices, especially when it comes to devices designed to ensure public safety.