Satellite images of the Middle East are being restricted. What now?

Planet Labs is an American satellite imaging company that photographs Earth every day with more than 200 satellites. It sells these images to its customers — which include governments, humanitarian organizations, and traders — through a subscription model.

The U.S. government recently asked Planet Labs to retroactively halt the publication of images taken across much of the Middle East, citing the ongoing war against Iran. As of April 5, Planet Labs agreed. The company now evaluates access to these images, dating back to March 9, on a case-by-case basis.

The move is raising questions about the commercial independence of satellite imaging companies. Because of these restrictions, some customers of Planet Labs are turning to alternatives based in Europe and China.

Krishna Karra, a senior reporter for Bloomberg, wrote about this. He joined “Marketplace” host Kai Ryssdal to discuss his reporting.

To hear their conversation, click the audio player above.