Judge Blocks Pentagon Anthropic Supply-Chain Designation

California federal Judge Rita Lin ruled that the Pentagon’s designation of Anthropic as a national security supply-chain risk was illegal and baseless, citing due process concerns and potential violations of the Administrative Procedure Act. The decision said retaliating against a company for its public views on AI safety cannot be justified by national security alone. Anthropic argued the designation targeted its stance against using Claude for autonomous weapons and domestic surveillance. The Pentagon contends private firms should not constrain military action. The ruling blocks the government’s ability to penalize Anthropic in certain contracts and could affect how AI safety positions are treated in national security designations. A separate suit remains ongoing in the D.C. Circuit, reflecting continuing battles over Defense Secretary authority and AI in military applications.