United States of America: Columbia Court of Appeals denied motion by Anthropic for stay against procurement determination by Department of War

On 8 April 2026, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied Anthropic's motion for a stay against a procurement determination by the Department of War, while granting expedited review of the case. The determination, issued on 3 March 2026 by the Secretary of War, applies to providers of artificial intelligence (AI) goods and services supplying the department, effectively barring Anthropic from federal defence procurement due to alleged national security supply-chain risks. The measure imposes restrictions including contract termination, removal of the company’s AI systems from government use, and a prohibition on subcontracting, following Anthropic’s refusal to permit certain military uses of its models, including mass surveillance and autonomous warfare. The court found that although Anthropic may suffer financial harm, the public interest and national security considerations outweigh the need for interim relief.