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Judge Rita Lin Rules Pentagon's Blacklisting of Anthropic Was Illegal Due to Government Retaliation

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled on Thursday that the Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply chain risk was illegal. The court found that the Department of Defense violated the First Amendment by punishing the company for its public criticism of the administration's views on artificial intelligence. While the government is owed deference on national security matters, Judge Rita Lin noted that the government's actions were not founded on an articulable basis. The dispute began in February when the administration announced the company was a supply chain risk because it refused to grant the military unfettered access to its Claude AI models. Anthropic sought to ensure its technology would not be used for mass surveillance or autonomous weapons. The ruling is a major victory for Anthropic as it prepares for a near-record IPO. The company remains in litigation in Washington, D.C., regarding a separate designation. Anthropic stated it remains focused on working with the government to harness AI for national security.

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