Overview
- Cheltenham School District says it is considering a new photo vendor; spring K–8 portraits will proceed with opt-outs and a path for families to request image deletion.
- Turlock Unified met with Lifetouch to review privacy and security practices, said the safeguards were reassuring, and will keep evaluating the partnership as some parents seek more transparency.
- Lifetouch says it is not named in the released files, follows all privacy laws, has never shared student images with third parties including Apollo, and says no photos were used in illicit activities.
- The online claims trace ownership from Lifetouch to Shutterfly to funds managed by Apollo; Shutterfly was acquired in 2019 after Epstein’s death, and Lifetouch says Apollo personnel have no access to student images.
- Some districts nationwide have paused or canceled Lifetouch photo plans, according to the Associated Press, as reviews of vendor relationships continue.