Leaked Email Suggests Ring Plans To Expand 'Search Party' Surveillance Beyond Dogs (404media.co)
(Wednesday February 18, 2026 @11:40AM (msmash)
from the quite-predictable dept.)
- Reference: 0180822680
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/02/18/1614247/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs
- Source link: https://www.404media.co/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs/
Ring's AI-powered [1]"Search Party" feature , which links neighborhood cameras into a networked surveillance system to find lost dogs, was [2]never intended to stop at pets , according to an internal email from founder Jamie Siminoff obtained by 404 Media.
Siminoff told employees in early October, shortly after the feature launched, that Search Party was introduced "first for finding dogs" and that the technology would eventually help "zero out crime in neighborhoods." The on-by-default feature faced intense backlash after Ring promoted it during a Super Bowl ad. Ring has since also rolled out "Familiar Faces," a facial recognition tool that identifies friends and family on a user's camera, and "Fire Watch," an AI-based fire alert system.
A Ring spokesperson told the publication Search Party does not process human biometrics or track people.
[1] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/02/11/1844232/with-ring-american-consumers-built-a-surveillance-dragnet
[2] https://www.404media.co/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs/
Siminoff told employees in early October, shortly after the feature launched, that Search Party was introduced "first for finding dogs" and that the technology would eventually help "zero out crime in neighborhoods." The on-by-default feature faced intense backlash after Ring promoted it during a Super Bowl ad. Ring has since also rolled out "Familiar Faces," a facial recognition tool that identifies friends and family on a user's camera, and "Fire Watch," an AI-based fire alert system.
A Ring spokesperson told the publication Search Party does not process human biometrics or track people.
[1] https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/02/11/1844232/with-ring-american-consumers-built-a-surveillance-dragnet
[2] https://www.404media.co/leaked-email-suggests-ring-plans-to-expand-search-party-surveillance-beyond-dogs/
Super Bowl (Score:3)
by ThurstonMoore ( 605470 )
I knew this when I saw the ad.
Re: (Score:2)
by Junta ( 36770 )
Yeah, was a super common observation. People immediately recognized this was the most warm and fuzzy use case and pitched first, to pave the way for the really profitable and less warm and fuzzy use cases.
They don't process human biometrics.. (Score:3)
by Shmoe ( 17051 )
But they provide facial recognition of familiar people. What kind of doublespeak is this?
Re: (Score:2)
by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 )
I believe they forgot the phrase "at this exact moment in time".
Well (Score:2)
by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 )
DUH.
So ... (Score:2)
by PPH ( 736903 )
... cats as well?
Also in the league email... (Score:3)
It turns out water is in fact wet and the sky is blue. Bears due in fact poop in the woods. And I just found out the pope is Catholic.
...well, not that shocked (Score:1)
I'll get outraged about this after Epstein arrests are made. And don't get me wrong, this is extremely important.