The “What Is True?” team investigated social media posts calling for a boycott of the school-photography company Lifetouch due to alleged connections with the Epstein files.  

CONCLUSION: The claim is false. 

The company Lifetouch has not been named anywhere in the Epstein files. There is, however, a former head of a corporate parent company listed in the files, which sparked calls for a boycott.  

Social media posts by parents and teachers across the country expressed fears about the safety of school photos and the possible connections between the school‑photography giant Lifetouch and the Epstein files. In response, some schools around the country canceled school picture days.  

While the company Lifetouch has not been named anywhere in the Epstein files, concern grew over its ownership chain. Lifetouch is owned by Shutterfly, which was acquired by Apollo Global Management, the private‑equity firm once led by Leon Black. The Epstein files indicate that Black had a financial relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.  

On social media, viral posts have stirred fears about data misuse and trafficking risks due to the connection between Lifetouch and Black. Multiple outlets, however, confirm there is no evidence that Lifetouch ever interacted with Epstein or shared student data. 

In response to parent concerns, Lifetouch states that it “has never provided images to any third party” and that Apollo has no operational access to student data.  

Cybersecurity experts said that concerns about online trafficking often come from a larger reality. Experts said that benign child photos posted publicly on social media can be taken, copied and reused without parental knowledge or consent, creating grooming or targeting opportunities. Reports on global image‑rights protections emphasize that publicly accessible images are frequently misappropriated across online platforms.   

In the face of rising misuse of digital likenesses and AI, Denmark recently proposed a first-of-its-kind law granting every citizen full legal ownership of their face, voice and image. Denmark also gave its citizens sole rights and power to force the removal of deepfakes or unauthorized reproductions.  

While experts say there is little concern around Lifetouch, concerned parents can check with their individual schools to confirm whether families are routed through Lifetouch’s Picture Day ID and MyLifetouch ordering portals. This information is not readily available on school websites. 

There have been no canceled picture days in Mississippi as of February 23, 2026.