Alibaba Gets Reprieve on Lobbying Ban Tied to DoD Blacklist

A federal judge ordered the Pentagon to grant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (BABA) temporary relief from a lobbying ban that forced all of its registered lobbyists to terminate their contracts, while the court reviews the law's constitutionality. The ban stems from Alibaba's inclusion on the Department of Defense blacklist designating it as a Chinese military company.

The reprieve allows Alibaba to resume lobbying activities during the legal challenge. All of the company's Washington lobbyists had previously dropped Alibaba as a client to comply with the restriction, which prohibits registered lobbyists from representing entities on the DoD's Chinese military companies list.

The judge's order provides immediate operational relief as Alibaba contests both its blacklist designation and the underlying statute. The company has argued the DoD listing lacks proper justification and that the automatic lobbying prohibition raises First Amendment concerns.

The case represents Alibaba's ongoing fight against U.S. regulatory restrictions that have weighed on the stock alongside broader scrutiny of Chinese technology firms.