Federal Judge Rules Pentagon's Supply Chain Risk Designation for AI Firm Anthropic Illegal
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Judge rules Pentagon’s supply chain risk designation for Anthropic was illegal A federal judge in California ruled on Thursday the Pentagon’s blacklisting of the artificial intelligence firm Anthropic earlier this year was illegal, violating the First Amendment. In a ruling Thursday evening, Judge Rita Lin said the Trump administration retaliated against the Claude-maker for its “constitutionally protected activity,” and violated the Due Process clause of the…
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NPR NewsA federal judge has ruled in favor of artificial intelligence company Anthropic in its legal battle against the Pentagon after the government labeled the company as a supply chain risk earlier this year.
Associated PressA federal judge has ruled in favor of artificial intelligence company Anthropic in its legal battle against the Pentagon after the government labeled the company as a supply chain risk earlier this year.
USA TodayAnthropic's lawsuit in California federal court alleges that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth overstepped his authority when he designatedAnthropic a national security supply-chain risk, a label the government can apply to companies that expose military systems to potential infiltration or sabotage by adversaries.
Washington ExaminerThe court ruled in favor of Anthropic and against the War Department, following the company’s March lawsuit objecting to the War Department’s supply chain designation for Anthropic and categorizing it as a national security risk. The designation prohibited Anthropic from working with the United States government and restricted companies that worked with the U.S. military from working with Anthropic.
The Guardian USA US federal judge ruled Thursday that sanctions imposed in February by the Trump administration against AI giant Anthropic were illegal, finding that the government had punished the artificial intelligence company for publicly criticising the Pentagon.
ReutersUS judge rules Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic unlawful - Reuters US judge rules Pentagon blacklisting of Anthropic unlawful Reuters
Washington TimesA federal judge barred the Defense Department from enforcing its ban on using technology from Anthropic, a leading AI firm, calling the prohibition more a fit of rage than a well-founded policy.
New York TimesJudge Rules Trump Administration’s Blacklisting of Anthropic Was Illegal The government retaliated against the A.I. start-up “for constitutionally protected expressive activities,” a federal judge in California wrote.
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“The empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics,” Judge Rita Lin said in a 59-page decision.
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USA Today"The empty invocation of national security is not a blank check to punish and retaliate against government critics," she wrote.
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Hegseth’s unprecedented move, which followed Anthropic’s refusal to allow the military to use AI chatbot Claude for US surveillance or autonomous weapons, blocked Anthropic from certain military contracts. Anthropic executives have said it could cost the company billions of dollars in lost business and reputational harm.
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USA TodayHegseth’s unprecedented move, which blocked Anthropic from certain military contracts, followed Anthropic's refusal to allow the military to use its Claude AI models for U.S. surveillance or autonomous weapons. Anthropic executives have said it could cost the company billions of dollars in lost business and reputational harm.
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Anthropic says that AI models are not reliable enough to be safely used in autonomous weapons and that it opposes domestic surveillance as a violation of rights, but the Pentagon says private companies should not be able to constrain military action.
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USA TodayThe Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Anthropic argues that AI models are not reliable enough to be safely used in autonomous weapons and that it opposes domestic surveillance as a violation of rights, but the Pentagon says private companies should not be able to constrain military action.
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An Anthropic spokesperson said in a statement that they welcome the judge's ruling: "We remain focused on working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology."
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Associated PressAn Anthropic spokesperson said in a statement that they welcome the judge’s ruling: “We remain focused on working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology.”
USA TodayAnthropic welcomed the ruling and said in a statement that it remained "focused on working productively with the government to harness AI for our national security so all Americans benefit from this technology."
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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the 59-page ruling, Lin, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, wrote that neither the Constitution nor the federal statute the government invoked allows them to “impose sweeping penalties based principally on Anthropic’s critique of the Administration’s views.”
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NPR NewsThe White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the 59-page ruling, Lin, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, wrote that neither the Constitution nor the federal statute the government invoked allows them to "impose sweeping penalties based principally on Anthropic's critique of the Administration's views."
Washington TimesThat, she ruled, wasn’t sufficient. “Neither the Constitution nor the federal statute invoked by defendants allows them to impose sweeping penalties based principally on Anthropic’s critique of the administration’s views,” she wrote.
4 details only one outlet reported
Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.
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01 Washington Examiner Lin ordered the Supply Chain Designation to be vacated in her ruling and declared that the actions taken by the War Department and other agencies in the Trump administration were done so “without authorization by law.” They were also ordered vacated.
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02 The Guardian US “We welcome the court’s ruling that this supply chain risk designation was unlawful,” an Anthropic spokesperson said.
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03 USA Today The government said the designation stemmed from Anthropic's refusal to accept contractual terms, not its views on AI safety.
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04 Washington Times She also pointed out that even as Secretary Pete Hegseth carried out the ban, he was talking about the firm “as essential to national security rather than a threat to it.” And he continued to pursue a contract with the firm.
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