Evolv Drops "Weapons-Free Zones", Switches To "Safe Zones", Now "Safer Zones"
Evolv centered its marketing around its goal of achieving "Weapon Free Zones", however, the company has now quietly dropped that marketing, switching to a more conservative claim of "Safe Zones".
This change comes amidst growing criticism of Evolv's problems with both false alerts and missing various weapons such as regularly missing knives, not detecting nonferrous metallic weapons, or most recently an Evolv school customer dropping them after a knife was missed and a student stabbed on-camera.
In this note, we examine this marketing switch and how it reflects both concerns about how Evolv misleads the public and risks about what Evolv cannot reliably deliver.
"Weapons **** *****"
** ****, ***** ******* ********** ***** Express ** * ****** **** ****** for "*******-**** *****". ***** ****** **** the ******** ** *****'* *********. ***** are **** ******** ** ***** *********** such *****:
** ***** *** ******, *** **** marketing ***** ** *****'* ******** *** "Weapons-Free *****", ** ***** *****:
*********, ***** ******, *****'* ***, ** Evolv's ** **** ***** ********** ******* free *****:
Detecting "***" *******
********* ** *** **** "*******-**** *****" claim, *****'* *** ********** ********** *** the ********** *** *** *** *******.
*** *******,*****'* ***** ******** **** ********* **** *** *********:
“**'**written *** *** ********** *** *** *** ******* *** *****,” Evolv CEO Peter George told Gothamist. [emphasis added]
** **** ***** *** **** ***** **** ****** Technology ***** & ******* **********, ** ****:
*** **'**written *** ********** *** *** *** ******* ** *** *****.
*********, ****** **** ***** ******* **************'* *** ********:
** ****** ******** ***** ****** *** platform, *** **’** ******* ***signatures *** *** *** ******* *** *****
Now "**** *****"
*** ******* ** *****'* ********* *** changed ************* *** ******* ** "*******-**** zones" *** ******* *** **** * significantly **** ****** ***** - "**** zones". *** *******, *****'* ******** *** has *** *** *******, ** ***** below:
*********, ** *********** **** ****:
Evolv's ********
***** ***** *** *** ******* *** the ****** ** *** ******* *** made,**** ****, *****'* ***, ********* ** **** that ***** ******* ** "******** ** detect *** ***** ** ******* *** components ** *******":
*** ******* ** ** ****** ***** spaces *** ****** ** ****, *****, work *** ****. ******* ** ****** safe ***** ******** *** ******* *** partnership **** ********* ** ********** ** ever-changing ****** *********. *** ******* *** designed ** ****** *** ***** ** weapons *** ********** ** *******, *** as ******** ************* ****, ***** ** no ******* ******** **** **** **** 100% ** *******, ********* ****, ***** is *** ******** **** ******* * layered ******** **** ******** ******, *******, with *** *********** ** ******* ************ to **** ******** ****.
*** **** ***** **** ******** "**** zones" ******** *****'* *******:
******* ** ****** **** ***** ******** our ******* *** *********** **** ********* in ********** ** ****-******** ****** *********.
Incidents ** *****'* *********
******* ******** "*******-**** *****" ** *** last ***** ****** ***** **** ** least *** ********* ** *****'* ********* where ******* *** **** **********: ********** ******** ** *** ** ***** park*** ********* ******** ** * ** ******(******* ***** **** ** ********** ** either ** *********, **** ********).
**** **** ***** **** ***** ********* ** *** *** gun *** **** *** ***** ****, *******, ** *** ********* ** the ****** **** ***** ******* *** not ****** *** ***** **** ** the ********.
Inconsistent ***** ********* *** ***-******* ******* ******
***** *********** **** ***** ********* (**** 58% ********* **** *** **** *****) were ******* ******* ** *** ******** at *****, ***********, ***** **** ** incidents ******* *****'* ********* ** ****** non-ferrous *******. ****** ******* **** *** made ** ****** **** ** **** in **** (*.*., ***-*******) **** * significant ******, ****** **************.
More ************ ********* ****?
**** ***** *** ******* **** ************ marketing **** *******-**** ***** *** ****** the **** **** *****'* ******* ********* into ******** **** ** *** ******* eliminate *******.
** **** ** *********** ** *** if **** ** * ***-*** ** a ****** **** ***** ** ******** more ************ ******* **** *** ********* as ******** *** ********** ******** **** Evolv ****.
*** **** ****** **** ************?
* ***** **** * ********* ************** perspective, ******* ********* * "**** ****" is **** ************ **. "******* **** zone".
* '******* ****' **** ** *****, easy ** ********** - ***** ** why * ******* ** ******** ** Evolv's ********* / ********** ****. *******, because '******* ****' ** ****** ******* - **'* ***** - ********** ***** Evolv ****** ******* (*.*.*,*,*).
**********, * "**** ****" ** *****, and ** *** ***** ***- ***** mean ********* ****** ** ********* ******. I ***** **** ***** *** ***** more ************. *******, **** * ********* effectiveness ********** - **'* * **** back - ******* **'* ******* **** from **** ***** ** ****** ** do - "******* *********".
**** ******* **** ***'* ******** ****** zone
*'* **** **** *** ******* **** the ** ******:
******: ****, ** ***'* ******* ****** all *******
******: **** **** ** *** ******?
******: ** ****** ****, ******, ***** - * *** ** *******!
******: *** *** *** ** ****?
******: *** *******.
******: ** ** *** **** ** '**** ******* **** ***'* ******** ****** zone'
******: ****...
******: *** ** **** ** *** that *** *****:
******: ***
******: "**** *****"
*****, **** *****, ***** **** ***** to "**** ****" *****, * ** joking, ********.
********** ** "******** ******** ***** ****" But *** ******** ****?
* ***** "**** ***** ****" ***** be **** ** ****** *** ***** enough ** *** ** *** **** of * **********.
***, ***, ** *** *********** * think ***** **** ****** "**** *****" by ****** **** ******* *** ******* it ** "*** *******" **** ** one ** ***** *********** **** *** to ** "******" **** *** ***** that **** ***** **** ***** *********** were "**** *****" **** **** **'* their ******* ** *** ** ** so.
*** ***** *** ***** ** **** the "****" **** ***** ** ** an **** ** ***** * ****** feet **** ****** ***** ********* ****.
***** ** *** ********* ** * defense-in-depth ******** ** * **** ******* problem ** ******** ******** *** ****** in ********** ***** ****** ******** ** a ***** ****** ** *********** ****** people.
*****, *** *** ***** ********* ******, cannot **** *** ***** ******** **** they *** *** ************ ***/******. **** can't **** *** ** ******* ******* a ****** ** ******* ** ********** location **** * ******* ****. **** can't **** *** ** ******** *** created ******* ********** ********* **** ***** found ****** *** "**** ****". **** can't **** *** ** ******* **** stashed ****** ****** *** ****** *** implemented, ** ***** ** *** *** staffed. ****, ***** *** *** ****** a **** **** **** ******** ******* more **** * *** **** *********** behind *** **** ** * **** case ********.
* ******* ********** *** ******** **** Evolv ** ****** ** ******, *** Safe/Weapons **** ***** *** *** ****** of ******** ******* *** ***** *********, not * ****** ****.
****, * ** ***** **** ***** has * ********** *******, ** **** price *****, *** ** ******* ** be *** ************ ******** *** ******* priced *** *** ************* **** ****** today.
***, *** * ***** **** *** increasing ********* ****** "******", *.*.***** ****** ******* ************:
"**** ***** ****"
***** ***** **** ******** ** ***** security ************...
** **** ***** ***** ******* ******* the ********* ***** **** "**** *****" to "***** *****", ******* **** ****:
*** **** ****** **** ************?
*** *** ** ****** ** ** area **** ** ******* *******, ***** fist ****** *** ******* ******** ******** as ** *******.
** ******, *** **** ***** *** free **** ********** *******, *** *** all ******* **** ***** *** ****.
***** "**** ******* **** ***'* ******** expect *****" *** ****** *** **** to ** ******?