Anthropic Announces ID and Biometric Checks for Claude Users

Anthropic updated its Claude privacy policy to require government‑issued identification and a selfie‑based facial geometry scan for certain users, effective 8 July 2026. The verification applies only to a “small subset” of accounts flagged for potential fraud, policy violations, or age compliance, allowing those users to appeal rather than face an outright ban. Anthropic will use third‑party providers (primarily Persona, with Yoti mentioned for age checks) to process documents and biometric data, retaining the verification result while the raw data’s retention period is undefined.

The change is presented as a safety and compliance measure, aimed at preventing abuse, meeting legal obligations, and addressing regulatory scrutiny. It arrives amid heightened US government pressure on Anthropic, including recent restrictions on its advanced models and a Department of Defense designation as a supply‑chain risk. The policy also raises privacy concerns, as facial geometry may be classified as biometric data under state laws such as Illinois’s BIPA.