\n A federal judge in California has indefinitely blocked the Pentagon\u2019s effort to \u201cpunish\u201d Anthropic by labeling it a supply chain risk and attempting to sever government ties with the AI company, ruling that those measures ran roughshod over its constitutional rights.\n <\/p>\n
\n \u201cNothing in the governing statute supports the Orwellian notion that an American company may be branded a potential adversary and saboteur of the U.S. for expressing disagreement with the government<\/a>,\u201d US District Judge Rita Lin<\/a> wrote in a stinging 43-page ruling.\n <\/p>\n \n Lin, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, said she would delay implementation of her ruling for one week to allow the government to appeal.\n <\/p>\n \n But in her ruling, she made it clear she disapproved of the government\u2019s actions, which she said violated the company\u2019s First Amendment and due process rights.\n <\/p>\n \n The ruling is the latest judicial broadside against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as he\u2019s sought to use powerful tools at his disposal to push back against companies and individuals he\u2019s tussled with in recent months.\n <\/p>\n \n Earlier this month, a federal judge in DC ruled that the secretary violated the First Amendment rights<\/a> of several reporters when he implemented a restrictive new press policy. And in February, a different judge in DC said Hegseth infringed on the free speech rights of a Democratic senator over the lawmaker\u2019s urging of US service members to refuse illegal orders.\n <\/p>\n \n Anthropic applauded Lin\u2019s ruling on Thursday.\n <\/p>\n \n \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to the court for moving swiftly, and pleased they agree Anthropic is likely to succeed on the merits,\u201d an Anthropic spokesperson said after Thursday\u2019s ruling. \u201cWhile this case was necessary to protect Anthropic, our customers, and our partners, our focus remains on working productively with the government to ensure all Americans benefit from safe, reliable AI.\u201d\n <\/p>\n \n The supply chain risk designation meant any company that works with the military would need to show it didn\u2019t use an Anthropic product. The label, leveled by the Pentagon last month, had previously been used only for companies seen as connected to foreign adversaries.\n <\/p>\n