Courts
A federal judge vacates the Pentagon's blacklist of Anthropic, calling it retaliation
Judge Rita Lin's 59-page order finds the "supply chain risk" designation punished Anthropic for refusing to let Claude be used in autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, not for any real security concern.
- U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled the Pentagon's February designation of Anthropic as a "supply chain risk" was unlawful First Amendment and Fifth Amendment due-process retaliation, not a genuine security judgment.
- The dispute began when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth objected to Anthropic's refusal to remove contractual limits on Claude's use for autonomous lethal weapons and mass surveillance of Americans.
- Lin wrote the government's actions were meant "to make a public example out of Anthropic for its 'arrogance,'" not because of any real evidence it would sabotage its model.
- The ruling vacates the designation and blocks enforcement of a related directive telling federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's technology; the government is expected to appeal, and a separate case remains pending before the D.C. Circuit.
