Lawsuit Questions Security Scanning Technology

PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – A federal lawsuit is questioning weapons-scanning technology in place at popular parks and event centers like PNC Park, Acrisure Stadium and Kennywood Park. The technology was already in place at Kennywood in September 2022 when three people were shot. There is no evidence though that a gun entered the park through a secure entrance that day. The park is among a list of Pittsburgh staples that have made investments in new technology in the last several years, specifically buying scanners created by Evolv Technology, based out of Massachusetts. The company’s Evolv Express is a touchless security screening system that utilizes artificial intelligence. It is designed to detect guns, knives and explosives while learning to ignore other metal items like cellphones. The technology is marketed as an upgrade to traditional metal detectors. The scanners allow multiple people to walk through at once, without stopping or emptying their pockets. Evolv shareholders filed a federal class action lawsuit against the company last week, stating it lied about how reliable its weapons-detection technologies are. Further, the Company had taken significant action to make it appear that its products were effective, including manipulating test results.” According to the lawsuit, the SEC launched an investigation into the company in February.