A federal judge has sided with Anthropic in its legal battle with the Trump administration, awarding the tech company an injunction against the government’s recent order that labeled it a “supply chain risk.” On Thursday, Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California ordered the Trump administration to rescind its recent designation of Anthropic as a security risk, as well as to back off its order that federal agencies cut ties with the company.
Judge Lin reportedly said during the court proceedings that the government’s actions looked like an attempt to cripple Anthropic. She ultimately argued that the government’s orders had flouted free speech protections for the company.
The conflict between the Pentagon and Anthropic erupted last month over a dispute concerning guidelines for the government’s usage of the AI company’s software. Anthropic had reportedly sought to enforce certain limits on how the government could use its AI models, such as banning their use in autonomous weapons systems or mass surveillance. The government disagreed with those limitations, ultimately labeling the company a supply chain risk—a designation typically reserved for foreign actors. President Trump further ordered federal agencies to cut ties with the company. Not long afterward, Anthropic sued the agency.
The White House has spent recent weeks attacking the company, characterizing it as a radical-left, woke company that is jeopardizing America’s national security. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, meanwhile, has called the Defense Department’s actions retaliatory and punitive.
Following Judge Lin’s ruling, Anthropic sent a statement saying they are grateful to the court for moving swiftly and pleased the court agrees Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits. The statement added that while the case was necessary to protect the company, its customers, and its partners, their focus remains on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI.
TechCrunch has separately reached out to the White House for comment.