Satellite imaging firm Planet Labs said it will definitely withhold visuals of Iran and the region in conflict in the Middle East to comply with a request from the U.S. government. The company announced the decision in an email to customers on Saturday.
The restriction expands upon a 14-day delay on imagery of the Middle East that Planet Labs implemented last month, which extended an initial 96-hour delay. Planet Labs said it will withhold imagery dating back to March 9 and that it expects the policy to remain in effect until the end of the war.
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Satellite technology is often used by militaries for target identification, weapons guidance, missile tracking and communications. Some space specialists say Iran could be accessing commercial imagery, including pictures obtained via U.S. adversaries. Satellite images also help journalists and academicians studying hard-to-reach places.
Planet Labs, operates a large fleet of Earth-imaging satellites and sells frequently updated images to governments, companies and media. The firm said in the email that it would switch to a “managed distribution of images” deemed not to pose a risk to safety. Under a new system, Planet Labs will release imagery on a case-by-case basis for urgent, mission-critical requirements or in the public interest.
“These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing all we can to balance the needs of all our stakeholders,” Planet Labs said.
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One commercial provider, Vantor, formerly Maxar Technologies, told Reuters that it was not contacted by the U.S. government. Vantor for years has reserved the right to “implement enhanced access controls during times of geopolitical conflict” and currently has applied them for parts of the Middle East, a company spokesperson said in a statement. The controls include limits on who can request new images or buy existing pictures of regions where the U.S. military and its allies are “actively operating,” and areas “actively targeted by adversaries,” according to the spokesperson.
The war in the Middle East began with the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran responded by launching attacks on U.S. bases in Gulf states.