Anthropic wins injunction against Trump administration over Department of Defense saga

A federal judge has sided with Anthropic in its twisty legal battle with the Trump administration, granting the tech company an injunction against a recent government order that labeled it 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 rescind its recent designation of Anthropic as a security risk, as well as rescinding its order that federal agencies cut ties with the company.

“It appears to be an attempt to cripple anthropology,” Lin reportedly said during court proceedings. Lin ultimately argued that the government orders violated the company’s free speech protections.

Drama between the Pentagon and Antropik erupted last month over a dispute regarding guidelines for the government’s use of the company’s artificial intelligence software. Anthropic has reportedly sought to impose certain restrictions on how the government can use its AI models, such as banning their use in autonomous weapons systems or mass surveillance. The government did not agree to these restrictions, which ultimately led to the company being classified as a supply chain risk – a designation typically reserved for foreign actors. President Trump also ordered federal agencies to cut ties with the company.

Not long afterward, Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the agency, along with Hegseth.

The White House has spent recent weeks attacking the company, calling it a “woke far-left company” that puts “US national security” at risk. Meanwhile, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei described the Defense Ministry’s actions as “retaliatory and punitive.”

Following Judge Lin’s ruling, Anthropic sent the following statement to TechCrunch: “We are grateful to the court for moving so quickly, and are pleased that they agree that Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits of the lawsuit. While this case was necessary to protect Anthropic, our customers, and our partners, our focus remains on working productively with the government to ensure that all Americans benefit from safe and reliable AI.”

TechCrunch has separately reached out to the White House for comment.