Overview
- Planet Labs, which announced the change Saturday, will withhold high-resolution images of Iran and nearby conflict zones retroactive to March 9 and will release only case-by-case shots for urgent needs or clear public interest.
- The new policy replaces earlier release delays that stretched from 96 hours to 14 days in March as the regional war widened after the February 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.
- The company says it acted on a U.S. government request sent to satellite providers, a step it notes is allowed under U.S. national-security licensing rules.
- Rival provider Vantor, formerly Maxar, says it was not contacted by Washington yet but has long used tighter access controls for parts of the Middle East.
- Reporters, researchers, and rights groups now lose timely imagery used to verify strikes, assess damage, and track movements in places that are too dangerous to enter.