Judge Blocks Pentagon’s Anthropic Blacklist

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin of the Northern District of California issued a permanent injunction barring the Trump administration from enforcing its “supply-chain-risk” designation against Anthropic, creator of the Claude AI model. In a 59-page opinion released Thursday, Lin held that the Pentagon’s actions constituted unlawful retaliation for Anthropic’s protected speech opposing the use of its technology for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The ruling reverses earlier orders that had barred federal agencies and contractors from working with Anthropic.

CBS NewsUS judge rules Pentagon’s blacklist of Anthropic unlawful, calls it First Amendment retaliation The GuardianFederal judge rules Trump administration's blacklisting of Anthropic was illegal CNNBBC NewsNew York Times

The dispute began earlier this year when the Department of Defense, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, sought to incorporate Claude into classified systems. Anthropic demanded that its models not be used for domestic surveillance or lethal autonomous weapons. The Pentagon rejected those conditions, arguing a private contractor could not dictate military use. Negotiations over a roughly $200 million contract collapsed in February, prompting Hegseth on February 27 to label Anthropic a “supply-chain-risk,” a status previously reserved for foreign adversaries. President Donald Trump amplified the move with a Truth Social post ordering an immediate halt to government use of Anthropic’s technology. Anthropic filed lawsuits on March 9, challenging the designation as a violation of the First and Fifth Amendments.

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• $200 million contract at issue.

The Guardian

• February 27 – date of the Pentagon’s supply-chain-risk designation.

The Guardian

• March 26 – Judge Lin issued a preliminary injunction.

US judge rules Pentagon’s blacklist of Anthropic unlawful, calls it First Amendment retaliation

• April 8 – D.C. Circuit panel denied Anthropic’s emergency stay request.

US judge rules Pentagon’s blacklist of Anthropic unlawful, calls it First Amendment retaliation

• Anthropic issued a statement welcoming the ruling and reaffirming its intent to work with the government on AI for national security.

CNN

• President Donald Trump told Axios in a June interview that he no longer views Anthropic as a national-security threat.

CNN

• The Pentagon and the White House have not provided comment.

BBC News

• Pete Hegseth described Anthropic as “sanctimonious” and a “radical left, woke” organization for refusing to remove safety guardrails.

CNN

• Donald Trump similarly called Anthropic a “radical left, woke company” in a February social-media post.

CBS News

• “We welcome the court’s ruling that this supply chain risk designation was unlawful. We remain focused on working productively with the government to harness A.I. for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology.” — Anthropic

New York Times

The ruling resolves the first of Anthropic’s two lawsuits filed on March 9; a second case remains pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Sources differ on the administration’s next steps: some note the government could appeal, while others say it may await the pending appeal before acting. No officials from the Pentagon or the White House have publicly responded, leaving the immediate impact on existing contracts unclear.

Federal judge rules Trump administration's blacklisting of Anthropic was illegal

• The administration retains the option to appeal Judge Lin’s decision.

Federal judge rules Trump administration's blacklisting of Anthropic was illegal

• The pending D.C. Circuit lawsuit will address a separate supply-chain-risk designation that could affect civilian government contracts.

The Guardian

• Federal agencies must reassess any internal directives that barred Anthropic’s technology to ensure compliance with the court’s order.

CBS News