Beware the Elf on a Shelf, Privacy Watchdogs Warn
The New York Times
Privacy organizations acknowledge that the elf isn’t the biggest security threat, but they say that he teaches children the wrong lessons about accepting surveillance.
As spies go, he is undeniably adorable.
The Elf on a Shelf, a rapidly growing phenomenon based on a 2004 book by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell, has become a beloved Christmas tradition for many families. The elf hides in a different spot in the home each day in the weeks before Christmas, reporting children’s good behavior and misbehavior back to Santa Claus. For many children, finding the elf’s new location each morning is a highlight of the season, while parents get to exercise a bit of creativity.
The elf is not, several privacy organizations were careful to clarify, the biggest threat the world faces.
