BlackRock Owns Our School Photos
And whether you want to buy the photo package or not, they make the kids take the photo. Because we don’t think evil, we assume everyone else doesn’t think evil. It’s sad but simple. Skip picture day.
While BlackRock doesn't directly own every school photo company, they are a major institutional investor in companies like Shutterfly, which owns Lifetouch (a huge school photography provider), creating an indirect connection where BlackRock holds significant stakes in the parent companies of these school photo services, controlling vast portfolios of student images. This often involves large-scale data collection for school systems, raising privacy discussions about student photos being held by major investment firms through their portfolio companies.
Here's the connection:
Lifetouch: A dominant school photographer.
Shutterfly: Owns Lifetouch.
Apollo Global Management: Owns Shutterfly.
BlackRock & Vanguard: Are significant investors in Apollo Global Management, making them indirect owners of Lifetouch's vast school photo database.
So, it's not that BlackRock actively manages your child's photo, but rather their investments in the holding companies mean they benefit from and have a stake in the massive data collection from companies like Lifetouch.
Digital imaging company Shutterfly announced on Monday that it's agreed to be acquired by Apollo Global Management.
