Overview
- Planet Labs, which told customers Saturday it will indefinitely withhold high‑resolution images of Iran and nearby conflict zones, is applying the blackout retroactively to March 9.
- The company is shifting to managed distribution and will release pictures case by case for urgent, mission‑critical needs or when it deems a clear public interest, with routine access suspended.
- Planet Labs says the U.S. government requested providers curb access for safety and operational security, and the Pentagon declined to comment on whether it made such a request.
- Other firms report different approaches as Vantor, formerly Maxar, says it was not contacted by the U.S. but has tightened access in parts of the Middle East, while BlackSky did not respond to inquiries.
- The restriction removes a key open tool used by journalists and researchers to verify strikes and damage, and U.S. licensing allows curbs on commercial imagery for national security reasons.