Anthropic has revised its privacy policy. Users of Claude Free, Pro, and Max may now be asked to verify their identity. The company intends to request biometric data and government-issued identification in exchange for access. The revised policy takes effect on July 8, 2026, and does not apply to business subscriptions.
“In certain circumstances, we may ask you to verify your age or identity,” the policy states. Exactly what those circumstances are is not explained. Anthropic merely states that such checks are intended to “keep our services safe and secure.”
Anthropic’s potential motivation is to make Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 available again. These, the company’s most advanced AI models, were released last week but blocked by the U.S. for foreign users just before the weekend. Since Anthropic did not have an immediate way to verify a user’s identity, it had no choice but to remove both LLMs from the model rotation.
Read also: Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 blocked: is frontier AI now too dangerous?
Biometrics in the spotlight
Eventually, the ID check could become a headache for users, and thus a brake on the adoption of the wildly popular Claude. Anyone who cooperates with such verification may be revealing a lot to Anthropic. Depending on the verification method, the company can store a scan of a government-issued ID, a photo or video of the user, and so-called “facial geometry templates.” In some jurisdictions, the latter is considered biometric data.
The revised policy does not apply to business customers (Team, Enterprise, and API). Consumers can refuse to cooperate, but the consequences of non-cooperation are unclear. These may vary by jurisdiction: from additional security filters to a complete block on access.
Multiple motives
There may be more at play than just model blockages. Anthropic has long been concerned about so-called distillation: the copying of its models by foreign competitors, particularly from China. Identity checks can help prevent the circumvention of export restrictions via shared accounts.
Anthropic previously published a new code of conduct for Claude, which sets out the model’s values and guidelines. The privacy policy change is part of a broader series of policy adjustments regarding the security of its services. Anthropic has not responded to questions about the new rules.