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ACLU targets Elf on the Shelf for surveillance, net asks if 'canceling parents' is next

Group calls toy 'a terrible message for kids' because 'privacy matters', furious internet hits back 'they've seen too many Chucky movies'

For months, Republicans have been claiming the left is waging a "war on Christmas", and on December 23, their claims got a major boost in the arm from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In an interview, the group along with the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project warned parents against getting an Elf on the Shelf for their kids, arguing, "no one should be looking at you in your bedroom without consent."

The 'war on Christmas' claims has been going viral for months now, first used by Fox News to talk about the supply chain crisis. Then on December 7, a man set the Fox News Christmas tree on fire at Fox Plaza, leading the network to spend weeks crying about the "death of Christmas". On December 5, former President Donald Trump even released an attack ad against his successor, claiming he "stole" Christmas. So far, it's been mostly a mix of false and misleading claims fuelled by Republicans' desperation to stay relevant.

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However, the ALCU practically handed them a win on December 23, with their claims about the beloved Christmas toy in an article for The New York Times. Daniel Victor, the author noted "As spies go, he is undeniably adorable", before going on to talk about how it can be perceived as a violation of privacy. Needless to say, the internet was not happy.

'We shouldn’t be celebrating seasonal surveillance'

Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project told The Times, "I don’t want to sound like a Grinch, but we shouldn’t be celebrating seasonal surveillance." He went on to call the toy, "a terrible message for kids." The ACLU weighed in, with senior policy analyst Jay Stanley saying, "it’s worth thinking about the messages it’s giving to children about surveillance by authorities." 

Caitriona Fitzgerald, deputy director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center also spoke about the matter, telling The Times, "If kids think they are always being watched, even when the watcher is a magical elf, that can have real effects on how they see themselves in the world." As Cahn put it, "no one should be looking at you in your bedroom without consent." Basically, the groups seem to be arguing that the toy normalized surveillance, which could have severe consequences for the modern world.

But the comments clearly didn't sit well with many others, who view the toy as a key part of Christmas traditions. Alt-right activist Jack Posobiec was one of the first to tweet about the story, and it quickly snowballed from there.

'Alexa does worse'

"What’s next? Canceling parents?" one angry user replied. Another noted, "My grandkids love the elf and all the shenanigans he gets into. These people are just twisted. Hell Alexa actually does worse for kids than a fake elf." One person replied, "Weird, Aclu is now scared of the elf on the shelf toy. It's like saying Elf on the shelf is a whistleblower against the aclu. Aclu have been watching way to many chucky movies." "The ACLU must also believe that the idea of an all-knowing God is “harmful to children.” The left is demented," one user declared.

As if making those claims wasn't enough, Cahn went on to add, "I don’t want to be the first one to take Santa Claus to court for invasion of privacy, but consent matters, and having privacy matters." Taking Santa to court may seem a bit extreme, but clearly so is calling for Elf on the Shelf to be canceled.