Trump administration defends Anthropic blacklisting in US court
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth designated Anthropic, maker of the popular AI assistant Claude, as a national security supply chain risk on March 3 after the company refused to raise guardrails against using its technology for autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance.
The Trump administration filing argues that Anthropic is unlikely to succeed in its claims that the U.S. action violates speech protections under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and that the dispute stems from contract negotiations and national security concerns, not retaliation.
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“When Anthropic simply refused to lift restrictions on the use of its products (which refusal constituted conduct, not protected speech), the President directed all federal agencies to terminate business relationships with Anthropic,” the administration’s legal filing said. In the application filed by the US Department of Justice, it was stated that “no one has alleged to restrict Anthropic’s expressive activities.” Anthropic’s lawsuit in California federal court asks the judge to block the Pentagon’s decision while the case continues. Some legal experts say the company has a strong case that the government overreached. President Donald Trump supported Hegseth’s move to exclude Anthropic from a limited number of military contracts but could damage the company’s reputation and lead to billions of dollars in losses this year, executives say.
The appointment comes after months of negotiations between the Pentagon and Anthropic reached an impasse, prompting Trump and Hegseth to condemn the company and accuse it of endangering American lives through its usage restrictions.
Also Read | Antropik establishes ‘Anthropical Institute’, expands public policy teamAnthropic disputed these claims and said artificial intelligence was not yet safe enough to be used in autonomous weapons. The company has said it opposes domestic surveillance on principle. In a lawsuit filed March 9, Anthropic said the “unprecedented and illegal” appointment violated its free speech and due process rights and ran afoul of a law that requires federal agencies to follow certain procedures when making decisions.
The Pentagon has also identified Anthropic as a supply chain risk under a different law that could extend the order to the entire government.
Anthropic is challenging the move in a second lawsuit filed in an appeals court in Washington, D.C.
