Planet Labs announced it will indefinitely withhold visuals of Iran and the Middle East conflict region to comply with a request from the U.S. government. The California-based satellite imaging firm notified customers via email that this restriction expands upon a 14-day delay imposed last month, which was intended to prevent adversaries from using imagery to attack the U.S. and its allies.
Key Takeaways
Planet Labs will indefinitely withhold images of Iran and the conflict region in the Middle East per U.S. government request. This expands an earlier 14-day delay on such imagery to prevent adversaries from using it against U.S. interests.
- Planet Labs to indefinitely withhold visuals of Iran and Middle East conflict zone
- Restriction follows a 14-day delay imposed last month at the U.S. government's request
- Policy expected to remain in effect until the end of the war, which began on February 28 after U.S. and Israel attacked Iran
- Military uses satellite technology for target identification, weapons guidance, missile tracking, and communications
According to HuffPost, Planet Labs will withhold imagery dating back to March 9 and expects the policy to remain in effect until the conflict ends. The war began on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, leading Tehran to respond by launching attacks on Israel and U.S. bases in Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
The company will switch to a 'managed distribution of images' deemed not to pose a risk to safety under a new system that releases imagery on a case-by-case basis for urgent mission-critical requirements or public interest. Reuters reported that Planet Labs did not respond to requests for further comment, and the Pentagon declined to comment on intelligence-related matters.
Other commercial providers have also implemented restrictions. Vantor, formerly Maxar Technologies, told Reuters it was not contacted by the U.S. government but has applied enhanced access controls during times of geopolitical conflict in parts of the Middle East where the U.S. military and its allies are actively operating or targeted by adversaries.
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