Anthropic may require some Claude users to provide government-issued identification and a selfie as part of updated age and identity verification procedures.
The changes appear in a revised privacy policy that takes effect on July 8. They apply to consumer accounts on Claude Free, Pro, and Max, but not to Team, Enterprise, or Developer Platform customers.
Checks Target a Small Group of Flagged Accounts
Anthropic said the identity checks apply to a small number of accounts showing signs of potentially fraudulent or abusive activity. The process is intended to give flagged users an opportunity to verify themselves instead of being immediately removed from the platform.
Possible reasons for verification include suspected breaches of Anthropic’s usage rules, access from unsupported locations, account administration, security investigations, and age requirements. Claude’s consumer terms require users to be at least 18.
Accounts may still be suspended if the verification process confirms repeated policy violations, underage use, or another breach of the company’s terms. Users who believe their account was incorrectly restricted can submit an appeal.
Anthropic said the June 17 policy update expanded its appeals process and was unrelated to recent government restrictions involving its Fable and Mythos models.
Persona Will Process Identity Documents
The verification process is handled by Persona, a San Francisco identity-checking company. Users may be asked to upload a passport, driver’s licence, or another official identity document.
They may also need to provide a selfie photograph or video. The process can generate a digital facial geometry template used to compare the person with the photograph on the identity document.
Anthropic will retain a record of the verification result, such as whether the person meets the minimum age requirement. The company’s privacy policy update does not specify how long Persona will keep the original documents or biometric information.
Anthropic acts as the data controller, meaning it determines how the information is processed and retained. Persona is contractually permitted to use the data to provide verification and improve fraud prevention.
Anthropic Says ID Data Will Not Train Claude
The company says it will not use identity verification information to train its AI models. It also says the data will not be shared beyond Anthropic and Persona unless disclosure is legally required.
Anthropic maintains that it requests only the minimum information needed for verification. However, government-issued documents and facial templates are sensitive data, making retention periods, security protections, and access controls important considerations for affected users.
The updated policy also adds information about connected applications, multi-step tasks, and voluntary participation in Anthropic research.
Featured image credits: Syllaby.io
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