S.T.O.P. Welcomes DOI Probe Of Adams’ Subway Metal Detectors

The Mayor has championed Evolv since his earliest months in office...

View this email in your browser For Immediate Release S.T.O.P. Welcomes DOI Probe Of Adams’ Subway Metal Detectors (New York, NY, 10/4/2024) - Today, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), a New York-based privacy and civil rights group, welcomes a probe from the Department of Investigation into the Adams administration’s contracts with Evolv, the scandal-plagued startup currently facing growing scrutiny, litigation, and regulatory investigations for the alarming error rate of its self-described “AI-weapons detector.” In July, Adams began piloting Evolv metal detectors on the New York City Subway, which S.T.O.P. condemned as “knockoff TSA checkpoints” that would lead to long lines for subway riders, large numbers of weapons going undetected, or both. The Mayor has championed Evolv since his earliest months in office, briefly installing the detectors at City Hall in 2022 before removing them. SEE: The New York Daily News - DOI probing NYC Mayor Adams administration over Evolv subway weapons scanner technology: sources https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/10/04/doi-probing-nyc-mayor-adams-administration-over-evolv-subway-weapons-scanner-technology-sources/  Press Release - S.T.O.P Condemns Adams' Subway Detectors as "Knockoff TSA Checkpoints" https://www.stopspying.org/latest-news/2024/7/25/stop-condemns-adams-subway-metal-detectors-as-knockoff-tsa-checkpoints “It’s about time,” said Surveillance Technology Oversight Project Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn. “This program has stunk from the start, and I’m glad that DOI is finally taking the matter seriously. I just wish that it didn’t take this many federal raids to make DOI willing to hold the Mayor and senior NYPD officials accountable. We’ve seen a complete oversight failure in New York City this past year, and we can never let these sorts of abuses go unchecked for so long again.” Adams currently faces a five-count indictment charging him with bribery and fraud in a federal corruption investigation, with many of his close colleagues also under investigation. Evolv also faces investigations from the Federal Trade Commission and Securities and Exchange Commission and a lawsuit from a New York student who claims he was injured when Evolv failed to detect another individual’s weapon. SEE: The New York Times - Tracking Charges and Investigations in Eric Adams’s Orbit https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/nyregion/eric-adams-investigations.html IPVM – Sued: Shareholder Lawsuit Alleges Fraud By Evolv And Its Executives https://ipvm.com/reports/evolv-shareholder-suit Louisville Public Media - N.Y. student sues company that makes JCPS’ new weapons detectors, saying knife got through scanner https://www.lpm.org/news/2023-11-21/n-y-student-sues-company-that-makes-jcps-new-weapons-detectors-saying-knife-got-through-scanner FOX21 - Evolv Technologies (EVLV) Crashes After Disclosing SEC Investigation https://www.fox21news.com/business/press-releases/globenewswire/9078881/evolv-technologies-evlv-crashes-after-disclosing-sec-investigation-hagens-berman/ The Surveillance Technology Oversight Project is a non-profit advocacy organization and legal services provider. S.T.O.P. litigates and advocates for privacy, fighting excessive local and state-level surveillance. Our work highlights the discriminatory impact of surveillance on Muslim Americans, immigrants, and communities of color. --END-- CONTACT: S.T.O.P. Executive Director Albert Fox Cahn Copyright © 2021 Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, All rights reserved. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.