One of the companies doing such work, Realeyes, which is based in London, has been developing a system that combines eye-spying webcams with emotional analysis.

ECONOMIST: Facial monitoring

Back in Oxford, he brushes off a suggestion from British intelligence that he do a bit of domestic spying on the side by keeping an eye on some types it does not like who hang around the university.

ECONOMIST: Cold-war spies

Then there's the truly bizarre "Santa Claus" from Mexico, in which Santa has to fight off one of the devil's minions (who spends most of the movie prancing about in his red makeup and tights), while keeping a close watch on all the children of the world, using advanced spying methods, such as a disturbing eye telescope.

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