Anthropic has updated its privacy policy to allow Claude, the AI chatbot, to request government-issued ID from users in certain circumstances. According to a privacy policy update reported by TechCrunch, the company will require identity and age verification in some cases, including passport scans, driver's license photos, selfies, and facial geometry templates.
Anthropic says the change allows users to appeal account flags for suspected fraud rather than face outright account suspension. The policy takes effect July 8.
Thariq Shihipar posted on X that the requirement applies to "a small subset of users" whose accounts get flagged. Anthropic has not specified how many users this affects, though the company reportedly has tens of millions of monthly active users.
The company justifies the data collection by citing fraud prevention, security investigations, and terms of service enforcement. It will retain records of verification results, including age confirmation.
The timing coincides with negotiations between Anthropic and the Trump administration over AI tool access. Collecting biometric data raises privacy concerns, particularly given that states like Illinois have legal protections for such information. Reaction on social media has been divided between concerns about biometric data collection and views that this represents standard corporate practice.
