⚖️Appeals Court Upholds Pentagon's Anthropic Risk Label
TL;DR
A divided D.C. Circuit panel ruled 2-1 that the Pentagon can keep Anthropic listed as a supply chain risk, a designation that bars Claude from military use.
A divided D.C. Circuit panel ruled 2-1 that the Pentagon can keep Anthropic listed as a supply chain risk, a designation that bars Claude from military use. Judge Gregory Katsas said the Department had 'ample support' for its national security conclusion.
Key Points
The Pentagon labeled Anthropic a supply chain risk in March 2026 under a 2018 supply chain security law
The dispute traces to Anthropic's refusal to loosen contract terms barring Claude's use in lethal autonomous weapons or domestic surveillance
Judges Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao formed the majority; Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson dissented
Anthropic pointed to an August 2026 San Francisco ruling that found a parallel government designation unlawful
Anthropic says it is 'considering all options, including further review'
Why It Matters
The ruling lets Washington use contract terms as leverage over an AI lab's safety commitments, setting a precedent other agencies can borrow against any vendor that won't bend on weapons use.
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