- Ring founder’s comments appeared in leaked email
- They suggest Ring wants its cameras to ‘eliminate crime’
- Ring hit back at claims it could lead to mass surveillance
An ad showing Ring’s new “Search Party” feature made headlines after the Super Bowl earlier this month, when privacy concerns were raised about how it could potentially be used for mass surveillance. Today, a leaked email from Ring’s founder added fuel to the fire – but Ring hit back at claims it revealed plans for mass surveillance.
The Search Party feature on Ring cameras is currently being used to locate lost dogs by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to scour images from other Ring users to recognize wayward dogs. But according to a leaked email from 404 Media, this is just the beginning of Ring’s plans.
In the message sent to staff in October 2025, Ring founder Jamie Siminoff said, “I believe the foundation we created with Search Party, first to find dogs, will eventually become one of the most important pieces of technology and innovation to truly unlock the impact of our mission. You can now see a future where we can eliminate crime in neighborhoods.”
The argument from critics and privacy advocates is that by saying Search Party is designed “first to find dogs,” the implication is that it could later be expanded to finding people. After all, dogs don’t commit crimes (unless messing up your neighbor’s yard counts), so the idea that Ring cameras will be used to “eliminate crime” seems to suggest that they could be used to find people instead.
However, Ring rejected these claims in a response shared with 404 Media and TechRadar.
What did Ring say?
Ring was rather upbeat in its response to the leaked email. A spokesperson said that, rather than revealing specific projects, Jamie Siminoff’s comments “were intended to speak broadly about the long-term potential of customer-controlled features and technologies working together to support safer communities.”
“No single feature is designed to ‘kill crime,’ and tools like Search Party for Dogs are purpose-built for specific use cases – like helping reunite lost pets – with privacy and user choice at the center,” the spokesperson added.
Apparently the leaked email wasn’t private either. “Jamie writes these emails knowing they may be shared externally. This is not the first (nor the last) time his notes have been shared,” the spokesperson said.
Although its Search Party feature is enabled by default, Ring also says it’s possible to disable it. “Ring provides relevant context on when sharing can be useful – but the decision remains firmly in the customer’s hands, not ours,” the Ring spokesperson said.
Finally, Ring was keen to emphasize that features like Search Party are not designed to be expanded to identify other topics. “Search Party for Dogs helps camera owners identify potentially lost dogs using purpose-built detection technology; it does not process human biometrics or track people. Fire Watch alerts owners of nearby fire activity. Community Requests notifies neighbors when local public safety agencies request assistance from the community,” the spokesperson added.
Analysis: far from being the end of the controversy
On the face of it, reducing crime is something most people would support. No one likes having their packages stolen from their porch, for example, and the idea of using home security cameras and video doorbells to catch perpetrators — and those responsible for more serious crimes — might seem appealing.
But despite Ring’s protests, this controversy arose because of how Ring’s Search Party feature works, as well as its future implications. Search Party is enabled by default on Ring cameras and uses AI to scan images from other Ring cameras in the company’s network, turning them into a sort of automated surveillance system.
As law enforcement in the United States becomes highly politicized – and agencies like ICE draw heavy criticism for their actions – many critics fear that law enforcement could abuse a network like Ring’s in order to surveil the general public.
With revelations about the scale of the US government’s mass surveillance programs making news in recent years, this idea may not be too far-fetched. It was these concerns that arguably forced Ring to cut ties with surveillance technology company Flock Safety.
It will be interesting to see if Ring continues to modify its stance in light of public reaction. Ring says facial recognition data remains private and secure, but a number of customers have returned their cameras.
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