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US appeals court upholds Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic

By Thomson Reuters Sep 25, 2026 | 10:24 AM

NEW YORK, Sept 25 (Reuters) – A federal appeals court on Friday declined to block a ​Defense Department order blacklisting ‌Anthropic from military contracts and deeming the AI startup a national security risk.

The ruling from the US Court of Appeals ‌for ​the District of ⁠Columbia Circuit came ⁠in a lawsuit by Anthropic challenging its designation by the Pentagon as a national security ​supply chain risk, which the startup says has cost it billions ⁠of dollars in ⁠lost business and damaged ​its reputation ahead of a highly anticipated ​initial public offering.

Anthropic said in ‌a statement that it respectfully disagrees with the decision but remains confident in its position ⁠and is considering its options, including further judicial review.

A federal judge in San ⁠Francisco ‌last month struck down ⁠a parallel designation under ​a ‌different law, finding the ​administration had ⁠unlawfully retaliated against Anthropic for its views on AI safety.

(Reporting by Jack Queen in New York, Editing by Franklin Paul and ​Ros Russell)