Ring has canceled its partnership with Flock Safety after a Super Bowl ad debuting its “Search Party” feature sparked immediate public backlash over privacy concerns.
Neither company blamed public backlash over the ad—seen by nearly 128 million viewers—as a reason for the split.
“Following a comprehensive review, we determined the planned Flock Safety integration would require significantly more time and resources than anticipated,” the home security company stated in a blog announcement on Feb. 12. “As a result, we have made the joint decision to cancel the planned integration.”
The Amazon-owned company claims the integration was never launched, so no Ring customer videos were ever sent to Flock Safety.
Flock Safety confirmed Ring’s claim in a separate statement.
“We believe this decision allows both companies to best serve their respective customers and communities,” Flock Safety stated.
The 30-second advertisement featuring a cuddly puppy, Milo, that goes missing sparked emotion, but it likely wasn’t the kind either company was looking to capture.
In the ad, Ring’s founder Jamie Siminoff explains that everyone who owns a Ring camera in a neighborhood can become part of an artificial intelligence (AI) “search party” for free to help find missing dogs.
“Pets are family, but every year, 10 million go missing, and the way we look for them hasn’t changed in years. Until now,” Siminoff says in the ad. “One post of a dog’s photo in the Ring app starts outdoor cameras looking for a match. Search Party from Ring uses AI to help families find lost dogs.”
Many viewers found the ad unsettling, leading to widespread social media backlash.
Ring Founder and Chief Inventor Jamie Siminoff introduces the Blink Floodlight Camera and Solar Power Mount + Camera during the Amazon Devices and Services Announcement on Sept. 28, 2021. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
According to Ring’s announcement, Ring customers can still access the Community Requests feature, which allows them to choose to share certain videos with local law enforcement, which has helped in at least one high-profile shooting at Brown University in December 2025, the company stated.
Flock Safety said it remains dedicated to supporting law enforcement agencies with tools that are fit to local laws and policies.
Flock Safety is a Georgia-based manufacturer and law enforcement technology company that operates a nationwide public-private safety network of surveillance cameras, drones, license plate readers, and other devices. It has contracts with thousands of communities, law enforcement agencies, and businesses.
The company says its surveillance technology has helped solve thousands of crimes across the country, including human sex trafficking, retail theft operations, and burglary enterprises. However, privacy concerns over its license plate readers have spurred multiple lawsuits.
The company paused all cooperation with federal agencies in August 2025 after anti-immigration enforcement groups criticized it for allowing immigration enforcement agencies access to its license plate data.
Flock Safety had limited contracts with the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations to assist in combating human trafficking and fentanyl distribution investigations.
