Anthropic's Pentagon blacklist upheld in US appeals court: How the conflict unfolded
MSFT•A US appeals court upheld the Pentagon's decision to blacklist Anthropic, affirming its designation as a national security supply-chain risk. The ruling extends a months-long dispute over military access to the company's AI models.
1. Appeals court ruling
On September 25, a US appeals court upheld the Pentagon's decision to designate Anthropic a national security supply-chain risk, keeping the blacklist in place as the legal challenge continues.
2. Dispute over military use
The conflict began early this year when the Defense Department pressed Anthropic to remove safeguards from Claude for military use. Anthropic refused, and the Pentagon issued its designation; the company sued, arguing it was unlawful and violated its free speech and due process rights.
3. Legal and agency developments
A district court judge temporarily blocked the designation in March and permanently blocked it in August, calling it "illegal and baseless." The appeals court's September ruling followed earlier court action allowing the designation to remain during the challenge. The timeline also records federal agencies' continued use of Anthropic tools and White House discussions with the company.
