The Ring “Search Party” Super Bowl ad, which promotes an AI-powered feature designed to help reunite lost dogs with their owners by scanning neighbors’ Ring cameras, has sparked widespread privacy concerns. While the ad tugs at heartstrings with its feel-good narrative, critics from across the political spectrum worry that the technology could easily be repurposed for human surveillance, raising fears about mass monitoring and potential violations of privacy laws. These concerns are heightened by Ring’s controversial history, including past incidents of sharing footage with law enforcement and unauthorized employee access to private videos.

For many progressive viewers, the ad’s timing was especially sensitive amid increased immigration enforcement, and Ring’s reputation for cooperating with authorities only fueled skepticism. Despite these issues, Ring remains popular among users who value its security features. The backlash against the ad highlights broader unease about the growing role of AI and surveillance in everyday life, a theme echoed by other dystopian-tinged Amazon commercials during the same Super Bowl event.