Some privacy advocates are concerned. The North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) command will continue to track Santa Claus this year. Off the record, a spokesperson for the NORAD says that it is not an invasion of privacy nor an unwanted surveillance in one's work-space. The spokesperson further justified the NORAD activities by saying "it's for the kids".
Traditionally, NORAD has practiced transparency. This year, there is an application to share data on cell phones. Further, there is an game called "Elf Toss". The head of the Elf Union was contacted for comment but unfortunately there was no immediate response. From the NORAD website, there also seems to be a heavy involvement with Google and Google Maps with this tracking activity:
link: NORAD Tracks S. Claus
Anyonmous sources at the White House have indicated that President Obama is preparing a rebuttal to the expected Republican criticism of this use of security resources. Apparently, no government official is prepared to offer a statement of cost for this NORAD activity. It is a matter of national security. House Speaker John Boehner has not indicated whether this will hurt small business.
Catherine Forsythe
some interesting links:
Twitter: NoradSanta
Facebook: NORAD Tracks Santa
YouTube: Alaska Command of NORAD
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Erica K
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Jeremiah Horrigan
Salon.com
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Seasons' greetings and best wishes for 2012.
R♥
R