Private Files Example for Pantheon

private-files.php

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name:     Example Private Files
 * Author:          Doug Cone
 * Description:     Auth for Pantheon Private files
 * Version:         0.1.0
 */

/**
 * This doesn't protect direct access, you must move your files to a folder not accessible to the public, but accessible to this script.
 * On Pantheon, that location is: `/wp-content/uploads/private` (See docs: https://pantheon.io/docs/private-paths)
 *
 * You will need to move any files uploaded prior to adding this plugin, or fallback to checking the old upload path.
 *
 * This plugin is all or nothing, you could likely add a per file option leveraging different filters/hooks and the file meta data.
 */

if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
	exit;
}

// location that private files will live in.
define( 'PF_UPLOADS', WP_CONTENT_DIR . '/uploads/private' );

// Modify the upload folder to ensure that files cannot be accessed directly.
add_filter( 'upload_dir', 'pf_upload_dir' );

add_action(
	'init',
	function () {
		add_feed( 'priv_files', 'pf_handle' );
	}
);

/**
 * Filter the upload directory to our private files location.
 *
 * @param array $uploads the uploads array, see web/wp-includes/functions.php.
 * @return array
 */
function pf_upload_dir( $uploads ) {
	$path               = str_replace( $uploads['basedir'], '', $uploads['path'] );
	$uploads['basedir'] = PF_UPLOADS;
	$uploads['path']    = PF_UPLOADS . $path;
	$uploads['url']     = site_url( '/priv_files?file=' . $path );
	$uploads['baseurl'] = site_url( '/priv_files?file=' );
	return $uploads;
}

/**
 * Add feed handler. Checks auth status and responds accordingly.
 *
 * @return void
 */
function pf_handle() {
	// Something like `current_user_can( 'manage_options' )` here would restrict all file access to admins. `is_user_logged_in()` would just require a user to be logged in.
	if ( true === true ) {
		$file_to_check = isset( $_GET['file'] ) ? PF_UPLOADS . sanitize_text_field( $_GET[ 'file' ] ) : '';
		if ( file_exists( $file_to_check ) ) {
			header( 'Content-Type: ' . mime_content_type( $file_to_check ), true, 200 );
			// you could/should add a caching header here to encourage the browser to hold on to this file longer.
			readfile( $file_to_check ); // phpcs:ignore
			exit;
		} else {
			global $wp_query;
			status_header( 404 );
			$wp_query->set_404();
			nocache_headers();
			$template = get_query_template( '404' );
			if ( $template ) {
				header( 'Content-Type: text/html' );
				include $template;
			}
			exit;
		}
	} else {
		status_header( 403 );
		nocache_headers();
		// or maybe `wp_safe_redirect( wp_login_url(), 302, 'Private Files' );` instead.
	}
}

Note that on Pantheon static assets don't count towards your traffic, but requests to php scripts like this do.

Awesome, thank you!