Anthropic vs. DoW Preliminary Injunction Ruling

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of War (DoW), blocking a series of extraordinary sanctions imposed on AI company Anthropic. The sanctions, triggered by Anthropic's public refusal to allow its Claude AI model to be used in autonomous lethal weapons or mass surveillance, included a government-wide contract ban, a mandate for defense contractors to cut all commercial ties with Anthropic, and the unprecedented designation of the company as a 'supply chain risk'—a label typically reserved for foreign adversaries.

In a strongly worded order, the court found the government's actions appeared designed to punish Anthropic for its public criticism, rather than to address legitimate national security concerns. The judge noted the DoW could have simply stopped using Claude, but instead enacted measures an amicus brief described as 'attempted corporate murder.' The ruling states the evidence supports an inference of retaliation that would 'cripple' Anthropic, justifying the injunction to prevent irreparable harm while the case proceeds.