Planet Labs has imposed a 96-hour delay on satellite imagery covering the Gulf States, Iraq, Kuwait, and adjacent conflict zones, citing concern that its data could help Iranian forces assess the success of their strikes on US and allied military sites.
The restriction, effective immediately, applies to all users except authorized government customers, who retain immediate access for what the company calls “mission-critical operations.” Imagery over Iran itself remains available without delay, according to the announcement.
The move follows days in which the firm’s satellites documented the aftermath of Iranian missile and drone attacks on US bases across the region — including damage to the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and a $1 billion early warning radar installation in Qatar built to track incoming projectiles.
Limiting Battle Damage Assessment
The company said explicitly it wants to prevent “adversarial actors” from using its data for “Battle Damage Assessment (BDA)” — essentially, preventing Iran‘s military from using commercial satellite feeds to determine where its strikes landed and how much damage they caused.
The decision is “rooted in our commitment to ensuring the safety of US, allied, and NATO-partner personnel and civilians on the ground,” Planet said in a statement. Six US Army reservists were killed during an Iranian strike on Kuwait on March 1.
Commercial satellites had also detected strikes on US-made transportable radar units in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and possibly Saudi Arabia. Those mobile radars support THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile interceptors, according to a separate report.
The delay also means independent public verification of damage to US and allied infrastructure will slow — a consequence the company did not directly address.
A Company Built on Transparency, Now Restricting It
Planet was founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists who framed their mission in environmental terms. “We are imaging the planet to save the planet,” cofounder Will Marshall said in 2014. The company operates several hundred Earth-imaging satellites designed to photograph every landmass at least once daily.
Its customer base spans think tanks, NGOs, academic institutions, news organizations, and commercial operators in agriculture, forestry, and energy. It also holds contracts with the US military, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — making the defense and security sector a substantial part of its business.
The NRO operates its own fleet of classified orbital platforms with greater resolution than commercial systems, but those feeds are not publicly accessible.
Planet said it “remains dedicated to its mission of providing global transparency through satellite imagery,” while adding it has “a responsibility to mitigate the risk that our data could be misused and inadvertently contribute to a greater loss of life.” The company said the affected geographic area may expand as the conflict continues.
The firm did not specify how long the restrictions will remain in place.
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