A federal judge has granted an injunction in favor of Anthropic, marking a significant development in the tech company's complex legal dispute with the Trump administration. This ruling overturns the government's recent directive that had designated Anthropic as a “supply chain risk,” as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Specifically, on Thursday, Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California mandated that the Trump administration withdraw its recent classification of Anthropic as a security risk. Furthermore, the court ordered the administration to retract its directive compelling federal agencies to sever ties with the company.
During the court proceedings, Judge Lin reportedly remarked, “It looks like an attempt to cripple Anthropic.” Her final determination asserted that the government's actions constituted a disregard for the company's free speech protections.
The conflict between the Pentagon and Anthropic originated last month, stemming from a disagreement regarding the permissible uses of the AI company's software by the government. Anthropic had reportedly sought to impose specific restrictions on the government's deployment of its AI models, including prohibitions against their integration into autonomous weapons systems or for mass surveillance purposes. The government rejected these proposed limitations, subsequently categorizing the company as a “supply chain risk”—a label typically applied to foreign entities. Following this, President Trump issued a further directive for federal agencies to discontinue their partnerships with Anthropic.
Shortly thereafter, Anthropic initiated legal action against the relevant government agency, along with Hegseth.
In recent weeks, the White House has engaged in a sustained campaign against the company, branding it as “a radical-left, woke company” that poses a threat to America’s “national security.” Conversely, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has publicly characterized the Defense Department’s actions as both “retaliatory and punitive.”
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