Federal Judge Blocks Pentagon Designation of Anthropic as Supply Chain Risk

US District Judge Rita Lin granted Anthropic a preliminary injunction blocking the Pentagon's designation of the AI company as a supply chain risk. The designation, ordered by Defense Secretary Hegseth in February, required federal agencies to cease using Claude and sever ties with Anthropic's business partners. Lin wrote that nothing in the governing statute "supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the U.S. for expressing disagreement with the government." Pentagon records showed the designation was made because of Anthropic's "hostile manner through the press" after the company set red lines against autonomous weapons and domestic mass surveillance use of its AI.