Ring announced an AI feature called Search Party in a Super Bowl LX commercial that scans neighborhood Ring cameras after a user uploads a lost-pet photo. The company claims the tool has found “more than a dog a day.” Critics from both parties warned the same technology could be adapted for mass surveillance, with commentators calling the ad "dystopian" and "propaganda for mass surveillance." The commercial reignited debates over privacy, transparency, and safeguards for AI-powered camera searches.
Ring’s Super Bowl 'Search Party' Ad Draws Bipartisan Backlash Over Surveillance Fears
Ring camera Super Bowl ad
Ring used one of the high-profile advertising slots during Super Bowl LX to unveil an AI-powered feature called Search Party, which the company says can help locate lost pets by querying neighborhood Ring cameras after a user uploads a photo.
How Search Party Works
According to the advertisement, a Ring user can post a photo of a lost pet in the Ring app. That upload would then prompt nearby outdoor Ring cameras to scan for visual matches, with the company claiming the tool has helped find “more than a dog a day” since launch.
Bipartisan Pushback
The commercial provoked immediate criticism from viewers across the political spectrum, who warned the technology could be repurposed for broader surveillance. Conservative commentator Stephen L. Miller called the spot “propaganda for mass surveillance.” Democratic former New York City comptroller Brad Lander warned, “they can do this to anyone,” adding, “That’s terrifying.” GOP strategist Brady Smith described the ad as “awfully dystopian,” asking sarcastically, “What could possibly go wrong?”
Privacy Concerns and Context
While Ring framed the feature as a community-safety tool for reuniting lost pets with owners, critics worry about mission creep and how the same capability could be used to search for people or track individuals without consent. The ad’s high-visibility placement during the Super Bowl intensified the reaction, raising fresh questions about corporate responsibility, transparency, and safeguards around AI-driven camera searches.
Ring Spokesperson: The company says Search Party has helped find “more than a dog a day.”
Observers from across the political divide said the spot left them unsettled, sparking calls for clearer rules and stronger privacy protections for camera networks and AI-powered image matching.
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