The Private Surveillance Economy: When Ring and IoT Cameras Redefine Intelligence

Private companies are shifting intelligence gathering from governments to a commercial market, turning everyday sensors—door cameras, license-plate readers, drones—into a coordinated data network used by law enforcement and investigators. Ring's controversial 'Search Party' pet-recovery push illustrated how partnerships and AI could blur privacy protections and enable mass surveillance without traditional warrants. As this 'intelligence as a service' model expands, questions about national sovereignty, democratic oversight, and civil liberties loom, even as governments retain traditional capabilities.