Alibaba will ban employees from using Anthropic’s Claude Code in office environments from July 10, according to multiple reports. The Chinese technology company has classified the AI programming tool as high-risk software and told staff to use its own coding assistant, Qoder, instead.
Claude Code is Anthropic’s agentic coding tool for developers. It can write, edit and run code, and has become popular among engineers using AI assistants for software development.
The reported ban follows Anthropic’s efforts to restrict access by Chinese companies. Anthropic already blocks companies based in China, as well as foreign entities owned by those companies, from using Claude under its regional access policies.
Anthropic Tightens Access Controls
The Financial Times reported that Anthropic has been closing loopholes that allowed Chinese users and companies to access Claude through overseas subsidiaries, cloud providers and other routing methods. The company has also worked with partners to detect unauthorized use and prevent model distillation.
Distillation refers to training an AI model on the outputs of another model. Anthropic has treated the practice as a risk when access comes from unsupported or restricted regions.
A recent Reddit post alleged that Claude Code included hidden mechanisms that could identify Chinese users. Thariq Shihipar, an Anthropic engineer working on Claude Code, said on X that the system was an experiment launched in March to prevent abuse by unauthorized resellers and protect against distillation.
Shihipar said Anthropic had since introduced stronger safeguards and had already planned to remove the earlier mechanism. The Register reported that the rollback was expected to appear on July 1.
Alibaba Directs Staff to Use Qoder
Alibaba has reportedly placed Claude Code on its restricted software list because of concerns over hidden tracking or possible backdoor risks. The company has instead directed employees to use Qoder, its own AI coding assistant.
The ban adds to tensions between U.S. AI developers and Chinese technology companies over access to advanced models. Anthropic has taken a stricter approach than some rivals by explicitly barring Chinese companies and their overseas-controlled affiliates from using its services.
Reuters reported that Alibaba’s internal decision comes after Anthropic accused the company of using Claude through unauthorized channels. Alibaba has not publicly detailed the ban or commented on the specific claims.
The restriction applies to workplace use of Claude Code, not necessarily to all personal use by individuals outside Alibaba. The company’s internal guidance is expected to take effect on July 10.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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