A federal judge has temporarily blocked efforts by the U.S. government to halt the use of Anthropic tools across federal agencies, marking an early development in the company’s lawsuit against the Pentagon.
Rita Lin ruled that directives issued by Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth to immediately stop using Anthropic’s technology could not be enforced for now.
Court Findings And Immediate Impact
In her order, Judge Lin wrote that the government’s actions appeared aimed at harming Anthropic and discouraging public discussion about its concerns over how its technology could be used.
The ruling allows Anthropic’s tools, including its Claude model, to remain in use by government agencies and contractors while the case proceeds.
Government And Company Responses
A spokesperson for US Department of Defense referred to comments by Emil Michael, who described the ruling as a “disgrace” and said it contained multiple factual errors.
Anthropic said it was pleased with the decision and stated it would continue working with the government to support safe and reliable AI deployment.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Background To The Legal Dispute
Anthropic filed the lawsuit earlier this month after the Defense Department labeled the company a “supply chain risk,” a designation that typically restricts government use of a company’s products.
The company said the designation harmed its business and violated its rights, including freedom of speech protections.
Judge Lin noted that public statements from Trump and Hegseth referred to Anthropic using political language rather than citing specific security concerns.
Contract Dispute And Policy Concerns
The dispute followed months of negotiations over a planned expansion of Anthropic’s $200 million contract with the Defense Department.
The Pentagon sought contract terms allowing use of Anthropic’s tools for “any lawful use.” Anthropic and its CEO Dario Amodei raised concerns that such language could permit uses such as mass surveillance or autonomous weapons.
After the company declined to accept the revised terms, the Defense Department moved to restrict its technology, leading to the current legal challenge.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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