Judge Blocks Pentagon Blacklist of Anthropic as Unlawful

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration violated the First and Fifth Amendments by designating Anthropic a national security supply chain risk and barring federal agencies and contractors from using its AI systems. The decision prevents the government from punishing the company for refusing to supply technology for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.

Judge Rita F. Lin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found that Anthropic’s public statements on ethical limits were a substantial factor in the administration’s actions. The ruling noted that the Pentagon continued negotiating with the company even after labeling it a risk, and that no evidence showed an actual security threat. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei had stated the company would not provide systems it viewed as incompatible with democratic values or reliable enough for autonomous lethal use.

The administration responded by directing all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic technology after the company declined to alter its policies. President Trump posted that the United States would not allow a company to dictate military operations, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Anthropic of attempting to strong-arm the military. The court enjoined enforcement of the designation and related directives, holding that national security claims do not permit retaliation against private firms for their speech or contracting conditions.

The outcome leaves unresolved how the government will procure frontier AI systems when vendors maintain restrictions on certain uses. It also highlights the distinction between a company’s right to set terms and the government’s authority to select vendors without punitive measures against dissenting policies.