Ring’s search party feature could expand beyond finding lost pets

Amazon’s Ring has faced privacy questions before, but its latest move could be its boldest yet. Search Party, the AI feature that links neighborhood doorbells to help find lost dogs, launched late last year. Now, a leaked email reveals the company may have bigger plans beyond just helping pet owners.

An internal email from Ring’s founder and CEO, Jamie Siminoff, obtained by 404 Media, shows that the company’s default-on, AI-powered doorbell camera network is meant for more than just finding pets. The ultimate goal, according to Siminoff, is to “zero out crime in neighborhoods.”

This change is already causing new privacy concerns, especially as Ring adds more AI, facial recognition, and tools that work closely with law enforcement. In the email, Siminoff calls Search Party “first for finding dogs,” but suggests the same technology could also help lower crime.

On the surface, Search Party seems helpful. It links nearby Ring cameras and uses AI to look for lost pets reported through the Neighbors app. If there’s a match, camera owners are notified and can decide if they want to share footage.

The system is also turned on by default, so your camera might already be involved unless you choose to opt out. This detail has quietly caused much of the backlash.

Ring has added more features, too. The company recently introduced Familiar Faces, which uses facial recognition to identify people you know, and Fire Watch, which alerts users to nearby fires.

Taken together, these features create a fast-growing AI camera network that can recognize objects, spot hazards, and possibly identify people. Ring says the current Search Party system does not track humans or process biometric data.

It’s also worth noting that Ring’s larger system already includes Community Requests, which lets law enforcement ask residents for footage related to incidents.

Search Party might have gone unnoticed if not for a Super Bowl commercial showcasing the feature. Instead of easing concerns, the ad sparked worries about mass surveillance being presented as community safety.

The leaked email amplified those fears. Siminoff reportedly connected Search Party’s long-term potential to crime reduction efforts and broader public-safety goals, language that could reinforce the idea that pet detection is just the starting point.