Interesting. It makes no sense at all in this case because the stated reason for the law (capturing troop movements) is impossible here. The resolution and focal length is way too low to see anything smaller than a few miles in diameter :)
But it is a law... It should be repealed or specified in more detail IMO (e.g. only applying to really high detail levels). But I can imagine the US Govt has bigger fish to fry right now with a raging pandemic.
My understanding is it's intertwined with national security issues. NOAA doesn't have the ability to demand a license from other nations, though there may be some treaty obligations they adhere to.
USG has been trying to put the satellite imagery genie back in the bottle the past 30 years with mixed results at best. I suspect they are slowly realizing that it is a losing battle.
But it is a law... It should be repealed or specified in more detail IMO (e.g. only applying to really high detail levels). But I can imagine the US Govt has bigger fish to fry right now with a raging pandemic.