The Tribune
TUESDAY, MARCH 17 2026 | VOL. 45 | ISSUE 22
Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University
STUDENT LIFE
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OFF THE BOARD
Reaping the consequences of ‘just a joke’
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McGill’s partnership with Planet Labs undermines its claim to neutrality The Tribune Editorial Board
S
atellite imaging company Planet Labs recently restricted public access to satellite imagery over Iran and surrounding regions. Now, images will be subject to a mandatory 14-day delay before being made available, with the intention of preventing ‘adversarial actors’ from conducting Battle Damage Assessments (BDAs) of Israeli and American attacks—a military technique used to evaluate the effectiveness of strikes and adjust targets for future attacks. Though commercial users face this delay, authorized government clients, including U.S. agencies, continue to receive more immediate access to Planet Labs’ imagery archive. Planet Labs’ decision highlights the
EDITORIAL
growing geopolitical influence of private satellite companies in how conflicts unfold and are observed, documented, and later understood—despite being framed as a security measure. Planet Labs’ restriction of satellite imagery during the war in Iran highlights how commercial satellite infrastructure shapes the politics of war. McGill University, a research partner with Planet Labs, is therefore also a participant in these geopolitical dynamics. While McGill has repeatedly framed itself as impartial in response to calls for the university to take positions on geopolitical conflicts, the maintenance of this partnership despite the company’s preferential treatment of U.S. interests challenges its claimed institutional ‘neutrality.’repercussions on one’s ability to seek employment, receive medical care, obtain an education, or even acPG. 5 cess public transportation.
Canada extends temporary immigration measures for Iranian workers NEWS
Policy changes allow some Iranian nationals to extend their work permits
Sahar Jafferbhoy Staff Writer
O
n March 4, the Canadian government announced an extension of temporary special immigration measures for certain Iranian nationals currently living and working in Canada. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) policy now allows Iranian citizens with valid work permits to apply for extensions. Amid the U.S. and Israel’s military attacks on Iran, the decision is part of a broader set of temporary measures Canada introduced beginning in 2022—following the Islamic regime’s crackdown on ‘Women,
Life, Freedom’ protestors. However, the latest extension applies more narrowly than previous measures. In an interview with The Tribune, Rex Brynen, professor in the Department of Political Science at McGill University, highlighted the exclusivity of the current policy. “The current temporary measures apply only to Iranians with valid work permits and do not, for example, cover those on study permits seeking extensions,” Brynen said. Brynen noted that the extension’s narrower scope should be interpreted as a broader tendency of Canadian immigration policy, rather than as a direct indicator of Canada’s relationship with Iran. PG. 2
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