Max KrawiecPrzez
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TheBacklash
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SinceitairedforamassiveaudienceattheSuperBowl,Ring’sSearchPartycommercialhasbecomealightningrodforcontroversy—it’seasytoseehowthesametechnologythatcanfindlostdogscanbeusedtofindpeople,andthenusedtoinvadeourprivacyinallkindsofuncomfortableways,bycopsandregularpeoplealike.

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Ringinparticularhasalwaysbeenproudofitscooperationwithlawenforcement.Thatraisesbigquestionsaboutourcivilrights,especiallysinceRingannouncedapartnershiplastfallwithacompanycalledFlockSafety,whosesystemshavebeenaccessedbyICE.There’ssomecomplicationtothat—we’llcomebacktoitinabit.

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PublicReaction
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ThebacklashtoRing’sSuperBowladwasswift,intense,andeffective:thedatacompanyPeakMetricssaysconversationabouttheadonsocialplatformslikeXactuallypeakedtwodaysaftertheSuperBowl,andthevibes,astheymeasuredthem,werestrikinglynegative.Imean,youknowit’sbadwhenMattNelson,whorunstheweratedogsaccount,ispostingvideoslikethis:

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PolityczneObawy
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Sen.EdMarkeycalledthead“dystopian”andsaiditwasproofAmazon,whichownsRing,neededtoceaseallfacialrecognitiontechnologyonRingdoorbells.Hesaid,“Thisdefinitelyisn’taboutdogs—it’saboutmasssurveillance.”

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Andthen,onThursday,February12th,justfourdaysaftertheSuperBowl,RingannounceditwascancelingitspartnershipwithFlock,inastatementfirstreportedbyTheVerge’sJenTuohy.Thatstatementitselfisalot:

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W następstwiekompleksowejrecenzji,wedeterminedtheplannedFlockSafetyintegrationwouldrequiresignificantlymoretimeandresourcesthananticipated.Asaresult,wehavemadethejointdecisiontocanceltheplannedintegration.Theintegrationneverlaunched,sonoRingcustomervideoswereeversenttoFlockSafety.

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Misja Ring's
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ThecompanyalsogoesontosaythatRingcameraswereusedbypoliceinidentifyingaschoolshooteratBrownUniversityinDecember2025.It’sanoddnonsequiturinapressreleaseaboutcancelingacontroversialpartnershipthatreallyexplainsalotaboutRing,andhowthecompanyseesitself.

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Asithappens,Ring’sfounderJamieSiminoffwasjustonDekoderafewmonthsago,talkingabouthowandwhyhefoundedthecompany,andindetailaboutwhyheseesRing’smissionaseliminatingcrime.Notsellingcamerasordoorbells,orfloodlights,oranythingelseRingmakes,butgettingridofcrime.

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AIiSurveillance
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WeactuallytalkedaboutSearchPartyandhowpeoplemightfeelaboutthatkindofsurveillance,andhowRingworkswiththecopsquiteabit.Infact,JamiebrieflyleftRingin2023,andthecompanysloweddownonitsworkwithlawenforcement.Buteversincehereturned,theemphasisoncrimeandtheworkwithpolicehasonlyintensified.Iaskedhimaboutit:

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NILAYPATEL:Youleft,Amazonsaidwe’regoingtostopworkingwithpolice,youcameback,boy,Ringisgoingtoworkwithpoliceagain.YouhaveapartnershipwithAxon,whichmakesthetaser,thatallowslawenforcementtogetaccesstoRingfootage.Didthatfeellikeatwo-waydoor?Theymadethewrongdecisioninyourabsence,andyoucamebackandsaid,“We’regoingtodothisagain”?

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JAMIESIMINOFF:Idon’tknowifit’swrongorright,butIthinkdifferentleadershipdoesdifferentthings.IdobelievethatIspentalotoftimegoingonride-alongs.IspentalotoftimeinareasthatI’dsayarenotsafeforthosepeople,andI’veseenalotofthingswhereIthinkwecanpositivelyimpactthem.So,wedon’tworkwithpoliceinthewayof…Ijustwanttobecareful,aswe’renot…Whatwedoallowisforagenciestoaskforfootagewhensomethinghappens.Weallowourneighbors,whichI’llsayinthispointareourcustomers,justtobeclear,weallowourcustomerstoanonymouslydecidewhetherornottheywanttopartakeinthat.

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Więc,iftheydecidetheydon’twanttobepartofthisnetworkanddon’twanttohelpthispublicserviceagencythatasksthem,theyjustsayno.Iftheydecidethattheydowantto,which,bytheway,alotofpeoplewanttoincreasethesecurityoftheirneighborhoods.Alotofpeoplewanttheirkidstogrowupinsaferneighborhoods,alotofpeoplewanttohavethetoolstodothat,andareinplacesthataredangerous.Wegivethemtheabilitytosayyesandmakeitmoreefficientforthemtocommunicatewiththosepublicserviceagencies,andalsodoitinaveryauditabledigitalformat.

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That’stheotherside.Today,withoutthesetools,ifapoliceofficerwantedtogoandgetfootagefromsomething,they’dhavetogoandknockonthedoorandaskyou,andthat’snotcomfortableforanyone.There’snodigitalaudittrailofit,and,withthis,theycandoitefficientlywithanaudittrail.Itisveryclear,andit’sanonymous.

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TheRoleofAI
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Jamieactuallytalkedalotaboutsearchingfordogsinthiscontext,becauseoneofthereasonshewassoexcitedtocomebacktoRingwastouseAItosearchthroughthemassiveamountsofvideogeneratedbyRingcameras.Infact,hetoldmethatRingcouldnothavebuiltSearchPartyfiveyearsago,becauseAIsystemstodoitweren’tavailable.

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Jamieisnothingifnotdirectaboutthis,whichIappreciate.ThemanreallythinksyoucanuseAIandcamerastoreduceoreveneliminatecrime.ButIhadalotofquestionsaboutthis:

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JAIMESIMINOFF:ButwhenyouputAIintoit,now,allofasudden,youhavethishumanelementthatAIgivesyou.Ithink,withourproductsinneighborhoodsand,again,youhavetobealittlebitspecifictoit,Idoseeapathwherewecanactuallystarttotakedowncrimeinaneighborhoodtocallitclosetozero.AndIevensaid,therearesomecrimesthatyoucan’tstop,ofcourse.

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NILAYPATEL:Mechanically,walkpeoplethroughwhatyoumean.YouputenoughRingproductsinaneighborhood,andthenAIdoeswhattothemthathelpsyougetclosertothemissionofzeroingoutcrime?

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So,thementalmodel,orhowIlookatit,isthatAIallowsustohave…Ifyouhadaneighborhoodwhereyouhadunlimitedresources,soeveryhousehadsecurityguardsandthosesecurityguardswerepeoplethatworkedthesamehousefor10yearsor20years,andImeanthatfromaknowledgeperspective.So,theknowledgetheyhadofthathousewasextreme;theykneweverythingaboutyouandthatresidenceandyourfamily,howyoulived,the">