Story perspectives

D.C. Circuit Upholds Pentagon Blacklist of Anthropic in 2-1 Ruling

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 10:21 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The D.C. Circuit upheld the Pentagon’s blacklist of Anthropic in a 2-1 ruling on September 25, 2026.
The decision affirmed the Department of Defense’s supply-chain risk designation under the 2018 FASCA.
Anthropic says the blacklist has cost it billions of dollars and harmed its upcoming IPO.
A California judge previously struck down a parallel designation.
The D.C. Circuit decision applies only to Defense Department contracts, leaving the California ruling intact.

History

Historical Context

After President Trump signed the 2019 NDAA in August 2018 banning Huawei equipment, the Commerce Department placed Huawei and 70 subsidiaries on the Entity List on 15 May 2019, sparking a broad supply-chain security debate. The D.C. Circuit’s 25 September 2026 ruling upholding the Pentagon’s Anthropic blacklist mirrors that earlier, government-wide restriction model, signaling courts may favor national-security designations.

1 of 2

Story summary

The D.C. Circuit upheld the Pentagon’s blacklist of Anthropic in a 2-1 ruling on September 25, 2026.
The decision affirmed the Department of Defense’s supply-chain risk designation under the 2018 FASCA.
Anthropic says the blacklist has cost it billions of dollars and harmed its upcoming IPO.
A California judge previously struck down a parallel designation.
The D.C. Circuit decision applies only to Defense Department contracts, leaving the California ruling intact.

1 / 2