"The home security and smart device company experienced some social media backlash after the Super Bowl, thanks to an ad that showed off its new feature. "Search Party" lets pet owners find their lost animals by telling all cameras in their neighborhood to search for visual matches. The ad, which can be seen below, claims that the feature has helped find "more than a dog a day.""
"What this ad doesn't show: Ring also rolled out facial recognition for humans. I wrote to them months ago about this. Their answer? They won't ask for your consent.This definitely isn't about dogs-it's about mass surveillance. https://t.co/bncjffU3DZ- Ed Markey (@SenMarkey) February 9, 2026"
"I've never seen a commercial destroy a company's reputation before. Great work, Ring.- Angry Staffer (@Angry_Staffer) February 9, 2026 The Ring Ad was awfully dystopian."Let's trick the public into allowing us free reign of their home security cameras by using lost puppies"What could possibly go wrong?- Brady Smith (@ImBradySmith) February 9, 2026 Ring trying to compete with Flock launching a nationwide surveillance system via doorbell cameras under the guise of looking for a missing dog.*whispers* this isn't about dogs https://t.co/EjF4sp9lqu- Christina Henderson (@chenderson) February 9, 2026"
Ring aired a Super Bowl ad for a feature called "Search Party" that instructs neighborhood cameras to look for visual matches to help find lost pets. The commercial claimed the feature helped find "more than a dog a day." The ad generated widespread social media backlash with critics labeling it terrifying, creepy, and dystopian and arguing it signals broader surveillance capabilities. Observers pointed to Ring's rollout of facial recognition for humans and to the company's unwillingness to require consent. Many said the ad damaged Ring's reputation and framed the product as a step toward mass surveillance.
Read at HuffPost
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