Overview
- Planet Labs said it will hold back high‑resolution images of Iran and the broader Middle East indefinitely and will release files only case by case for urgent needs or clear public interest.
- The company said the change answers a U.S. request to all commercial providers to stop putting sensitive Middle East scenes on public feeds, a push also reported by The Wall Street Journal.
- In a notice to clients, Planet expanded prior delays from 96 hours to up to 14 days and said it is retaining images captured since March 9 under a controlled‑distribution system during the war.
- Not all firms describe the same contact with Washington, as Vantor said it was not approached by U.S. officials but already applies internal rules that curb conflict imagery.
- The restrictions aim to reduce the risk that near‑real‑time pictures reveal bases or movements, yet they also limit tools that reporters and rights groups use to verify strikes and assess damage.