A Super Bowl ad promoting Ring’s new Search Party feature—designed to help locate lost dogs—sparked immediate backlash, with critics warning the same AI could be repurposed for mass surveillance. Some say it risks turning neighborhoods into a digital panopticon—echoing systems already deployed in parts of Europe using facial recognition to monitor populations. The outcry ultimately pushed Amazon’s Ring to cut ties with Flock Safety, reigniting concerns over biometric data and Big Tech’s expanding reach.

AIRDATE: February 19, 2026