Planet Labs Withholds US Military Loss Imagery Following Trump Administration Censorship Request

Satellite imaging company Planet Labs announced it will indefinitely withhold visuals of American military losses to comply with a censorship request from U.S. President Donald Trump, amid ongoing US-Israeli military operations against Iran.

In a customer email on Saturday, Planet Labs stated that the Trump administration requested satellite imagery providers to impose an “indefinite withhold of imagery.” The company will now adopt a managed distribution of images, releasing only visuals that do not pose a safety risk.

Founded in 2010 by former NASA scientists, Planet Labs said that imagery will be made available on a case-by-case basis for urgent, mission-critical needs or matters of public interest. The firm explained, “These are extraordinary circumstances, and we are doing all we can to balance the needs of all our stakeholders.”

This restriction follows a 14-day delay on imagery of the Persian Gulf and West Asia that Planet Labs implemented last month, extending an initial 96-hour delay. The company said the measure is intended “to prevent adversaries from using the imagery to attack the US and its allies.”

The policy covers imagery dating back to March 9 and is expected to remain in effect until the end of the ongoing conflict. The US and Israel resumed military aggression against Iran on February 28, following previous unprovoked attacks. The strikes resulted in the death of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and hundreds of civilians and senior military officials. In response, Iran launched missile and drone attacks on Israeli-occupied territories and US bases in the region.