He is adorable as a spy.
The Elf on a Shelf, a 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. Finding the elf's new location each morning is a highlight of the season for many children, while parents get to exercise a bit.
Several privacy organizations were careful to clarify that the elf is not the biggest threat the world faces.
But they think he's weird. Invasive and dangerous. They fear that the elf is teaching children to accept being watched by an unseen authority figure, and that they are acclimating them to being monitored by a police state.
Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, said that we shouldn't be celebrating seasonal surveillance. It is a terrible message for kids.
Santa had eyes on children before the elf arrived. Santa has relied on a robust network for his naughty or nice judgments, since he sees you when you are sleeping, awake and in the dark.
The Lumistella Company owns the Elf on the Shelf brand.
Santa's Scout Elves help to keep up with the Nice List, but they also share with Santa how families are spreading the spirit of Christmas. Many children like to wake up to see where the family's Scout Elf has landed, and they sometimes set up funny scenes. Our hope is that the Elf on the Shelf will bring joy to the holiday season.
Those who focus on the dangers of the everyday world find something sinister about the elf. They see a presence they would never invite into their homes when they look beyond their cute blue eyes.
Jay Stanley, senior policy analyst at the A.C.L.U. Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, said that it was worth thinking about the messages it was giving to children about the dangers of government snooping. I consider success as a parent to be teaching my kids to do the right thing even when nobody is watching, whether they be from the North Pole or anywhere else.
He said that elves should be left on store shelves.
Caitriona Fitzgerald is the deputy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a public interest research group.
She said that if kids think they are always being watched, that can have real effects on how they see themselves in the world.
Mr. Cahn said children should be taught that no one should be looking at them in their bedroom. He said that there is a cost to normalized surveillance.
He said that he didn't want to be the first to take Santa Claus to court for invasion of privacy, but he wanted to make sure that consent and privacy were taken care of.
The elf has become a fixture in classrooms, with teachers bringing him to school as a December activity for young children.
The elf excludes children who don't celebrate Christmas, according to an instructional coach in New Mexico. Ms. Janusz said that she loves the tradition for her children and that it requires a slight change of narrative.
She said that the elf is just reporting wonderful, kind actions rather than focusing on the naughty.
Heather Flannigan said she was looking forward to hiding the elf for the first time next year. She doesn't like the fact that the piece of technology doesn't sit right with her.
She wants her to be a good person because she is a good person.
The elf was a subject that some privacy organizations had a bit of fun discussing, which is why they focus on the serious consequences of overstepping governments and the creeping reach of technology companies.
The global privacy counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center responded to a reporter's questions about the elf with lyrics to the tune of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town."
It begins with: "You better watch out, look up on the shelf, don't accept spies just because they are elves, Santa's spy is watching your kids."
