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Sunday, November 15, 2026Nov 15

Is tech friend or foe to Santa Claus?

photo Phil Martella is dressed as Santa Claus as he arrives at a mall for seasonal photographs with children in Buffalo, N.Y. Kids can video chat with Santa, follow him on Twitter or enlist NORAD to track his every move online. And yet in many ways, technology may be making it harder for parents to keep their children believing in the jolly old elf.

By LEANNE ITALIE

Associated Press

NEW YORK – Kids can video chat with Santa, follow him on Twitter or enlist NORAD to track his every move online. And yet in many ways, technology may be making it harder for parents to keep their children believing in the jolly old elf.

At nearly every turn, the Internet threatens to blow the fat man’s cover.

Practically any schoolchild can type “Is Santa real?” into Google. And just a few clicks can bring youngsters to websites that sell customized letters from the North Pole or offer advice on how Mom and Dad can fool the kids into believing in old St. Nick.