The company behind one of the most popular AI chatbots just decided that some users need to prove who they are before they can keep using it.
Anthropic quietly updated its privacy policy on June 17, and the new rules kick in on July 8, 2026. Flagged Claude accounts will be asked to upload a government photo ID and a live selfie.
Who Has to Verify Their ID to Use Claude
Anthropic says only a “small subset” of users are affected, mostly accounts flagged for possible fraud or policy violations.
The check hits Free, Pro, and Max users, while Team, Enterprise, and API accounts get a pass for now. The company frames it as an appeals path, so a flagged user can verify instead of getting banned. It also helps Anthropic comply with the growing stack of age-verification laws.
What You’re Asked to Hand Over
A third-party vendor called Persona runs the process, not Anthropic. You submit a passport or driver’s license, plus a selfie. Here’s the part we don’t like. Persona builds a “facial geometry template” from your face, which counts as biometric data under laws like Illinois BIPA.
That data sits on Persona’s servers rather than Anthropic’s, and the vendor hasn’t promised to delete it right away. Any verifier can also be served a government data demand. ID images are exactly what identity thieves want, too. Discord already leaked roughly 70,000 users’ IDs through a verification partner.
The ID Verification Trend Is Spreading Fast
Anthropic is far from the first to do this. Roughly half of US states now require some form of age check, and the rules keep creeping onto social platforms and AI tools.
We’ve flagged this kind of overreach before with the UK’s Online Safety Act and US lawmakers proposing age verification for VPNs to name a few recent stories.
Hide Your Digital Fingerprint
Final Thoughts from Troy
Don’t get hung up on the “small subset” framing, because rules like this almost never shrink once they’re written.
The same Anthropic that just shipped its powerful Claude Mythos model now wants your biometrics the moment an algorithm flags you.
For more on this story, refer to the report from TechCrunch and Anthropic’s official identity verification page.
We want to know your thoughts. What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comment section below!
Be sure to stay up-to-date with the latest streaming news, reviews, tips, and more by following the TROYPOINT Advisor with updates weekly.
This page includes affiliate links where TROYPOINT may receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Many times, visitors will receive a discount due to the special arrangements made for our fans. Learn more on my Affiliate Disclaimer page.
