Ring aired a new commercial during Super Bowl LX. It showed a ‘Search Party’ feature powered by AI with the intent of finding lost dogs. Social media is in a meltdown, however, as many argue it has nothing to do with lost dogs at all.
Ring doorbells have become instantly recognisable over the years as millions of homeowners upgrade from the classic to the modern, camera-infused system.
Going beyond just a mere doorbell, however, Ring now has a new function called Search Party. This feature launched in 2025, but it wasn’t until a commercial at the 2026 Super Bowl that it caused a stir.
On paper, the idea of Search Party is to help locate lost pets. After being shown to tens of millions during the Big Game, though, many viewers are assuming the worst for the technology.
What is Ring’s Search Party feature?
As shown during the Big Game spot, Ring doorbells can now be used to ‘search’ for lost pets in the local streets and surrounding neighborhoods. By using the free feature, Ring accesses camera feeds from dozens of other households and relies on AI to track down your missing pet.
If your dog, for instance, has walked down a street with at least one Ring camera, theoretically, that camera be tapped to then track the dog’s movement and eventually, lead you right to it.
Since the feature launched, Ring claimed over a dog a day has been reunited with its family.
That’s one half of the equation, according to the official site. The other is to help during wildfires, spotting early signs and alerting you if it’s time to get out.
Ring Super Bowl ad controversy explained
So why the controversy? Namely, it revolves around access to the feature. See, you don’t actually have to own a Ring camera to use the Search Party feature. You just need the Ring app installed on your mobile device and you can request to see footage from dozens of nearby cameras.
Furthermore, Ring is partnered with Flock Safety, allowing law enforcement to request Ring owners’ footage during investigations. This is reportedly used to help track vehicles and identify suspects.
As such, reception hasn’t been particularly warm across social media. Some rushed to label it “dystopian sh*t,” while others joked “This is how Batman found The Joker in The Dark Knight and I don’t like it.”
Senior Security Advisor and Law Enforcement Expert, Gene Petrino
“How long are they going to retain this data?” Senior Security Advisor and Law Enforcement Expert, Gene Petrino said in speaking with Fox 9.
“Aggregating that technology across a whole neighborhood, it can be seen as an invasion of privacy. I don’t think it’s paranoia.
“Nice way to start a mass surveillance product and label it as dog rescue,” one X user said. “AI video surveillance of your neighborhood,” another chimed in. “Constantly, every day, always watching. You can’t hide or escape.”
Of course, others were quick to point out different solutions to the problem shown during the Super Bowl spot. From microchipping your pets to keeping phone numbers on their collar, there’s plenty that can be done before installing a Ring camera.
Just a few weeks ago at CES 2026, Ring won a related award, though not the good kind. It took out the top spot for ‘Worst in Show for Privacy.’
