A federal judge has sided with Anthropic in its tortuous legal battle with the Trump administration, granting Anthropic an injunction against the government’s recent order labeling the company a “supply chain risk,” the Wall Street Journal reported.
On Thursday, Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California ordered the Trump administration to revoke Anthropic’s recent national security risk designation and rescind an order directing federal agencies to sever ties with the company.
“It seems like an attempt to neutralize humanity,” Lin reportedly said during court proceedings. Mr. Lin ultimately argued that the government’s order ignored the company’s free speech protections.
The drama between the Pentagon and Anthropic erupted last month over a dispute over the government’s guidelines for using AI companies’ software. Anthropic reportedly sought to impose certain restrictions on how governments use its AI models, including banning their use in autonomous weapons systems and mass surveillance. The government disagreed with these restrictions and ultimately designated the company as a supply chain risk. This designation is typically limited to foreign personnel. President Trump also ordered federal agencies to cut ties with the company.
Shortly thereafter, Anthropic sued the agency along with Hegseth.
The White House has attacked the company in recent weeks, characterizing it as a “far-left woke company” that poses a risk to America’s “national security.” Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei criticized the Pentagon’s actions as “retaliatory and punitive.”
Following Judge Lin’s ruling, Anthropic sent TechCrunch a statement: “We are grateful that the court acted quickly and are pleased that the court agreed that Anthropic is likely to prevail on the merits. While this lawsuit was necessary to protect Anthropic, our customers, and our partners, we remain focused on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans can benefit from safe and reliable AI.”
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TechCrunch has separately reached out to the White House for comment.
