Anthropic wins injunction against Trump administration over Defense Department saga

A federal judge has sided with Anthropic in its tortuous legal battle with the Trump administration, granting the tech company an injunction against the government’s recent order that called it a “supply chain risk,” according to the Wall Street Journal. reports.

On Thursday, Judge Rita F. Lin of the Northern District of California ordered the Trump administration to revoke Anthropic’s recent designation as a security risk and to revoke its order that federal agencies cut ties with the company.

“It looks like an attempt to paralyze Anthropic,” Lin reportedly said during the legal proceedings. Lin ultimately argued that the government’s orders had ignored free speech rights for the company.

The drama between the Pentagon and Anthropic erupted last month over a dispute over guidelines for government use of the AI ​​company’s software. Anthropic reportedly had wanted to enforce certain boundaries about how the government could use its AI models, such as banning their use in autonomous weapons systems or mass surveillance. The government disagreed with these restrictions and ultimately labeled the company a supply chain risk – a designation usually reserved for foreign actors. President Trump continues ordered federal agencies to cut ties with the company.

Not long after, Anthropic sued the agency, along with Hegseth.

The White House has attacked the company in recent weeks. characterizing it as “a radical left, woke company” that endangers America’s “national security.” Anthrop CEO Dario Amodei has meanwhile called the Defense Ministry’s actions “retaliation and punishment.”

Following Judge Lin’s ruling, Anthropic sent TechCrunch the following statement: “We are grateful to the court for its swift action and are pleased that they agree that Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits. 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 can benefit from safe, trustworthy AI.”

TechCrunch has separately contacted the White House for comment.