Regulation II: Europe, Privacy and Security Rules
How do European and other countries regulate Earth observation, and do privacy rules limit very-high-resolution imagery?
Chapter summary
Europe has no single EU licensing regime for EO satellites; member states license their own operators (Germany's Satellite Data Security Act, France's space operations law, others).
Key takeaways
- 1
Germany's law (SatDSiG) controls the distribution of high-grade data and requires checks before sensitive data is released.
- 2
Privacy law (the EU's GDPR) applies when imagery can identify individuals, which commercial satellite resolution rarely allows today but very-low-orbit 10 cm imagery begins to approach.
- 3
Security rules increasingly restrict imagery of military sites and of conflict zones.
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