Claude Can Ask for Official Identity, Users Are Also Asked for Face Photos

Claude Mythos, an AI model made by Anthropic. (IST)

JAKARTA - Anthropic can ask Claude users to upload official government documents to verify age and identity. This rule is listed in the company's latest privacy policy.

As reported by TechCrunch, the policy was published in early June and came into effect on July 8. Anthropic said verification would be required in "certain circumstances", but did not explain the case.

The company said the move was made so that users whose accounts were flagged for suspected fraudulent activity could appeal. This way, accounts are not immediately blocked.

However, the policy comes as Anthropic seeks to ease tensions with the Donald Trump administration. The question concerns who can access the company's AI tools.

Anthropic has long required Claude users to be over 18 years old. This year, the company began introducing age verification to comply with regulations in a number of states and countries. Identity checks have also been announced, but have only recently been included in the privacy policy.

If asked, users must upload a passport scan or driver's license. Anthropic can also collect photos of selfies or videos of users.

The company will also process a digital version of a user's face in the form of a face geometry template. In states such as Illinois, this kind of data is considered to be biometric data that is protected by law.

Anthropic will also store the results of verification. For example, whether the user has reached a certain age.

Anthropic spokesperson Michael Aciman told TechCrunch that Anthropic's Thariq Shihipar shared the post on X. Shihipar said the change only applied to "a small number of users" whose accounts were marked, but not immediately blocked.

An Anthropic spokesperson did not explain how many users fell into that category. TechCrunch notes that Anthropic is estimated to have tens of millions of monthly active users.

"Anthropic's identity verification policy was updated on June 17 as an update to the appeal process," Shihipar said. "This is not related to the launch of Fable or Mythos."

Anthropic stated that it has the right to request a copy of the identity for several reasons. Including when users create and manage Claude accounts, enforce the terms of service, prevent fraud, investigate abuse, violations, illegal acts, and handle security issues.

According to TechCrunch, this step to tighten user supervision may be a way for Anthropic to face legal challenges, regulatory changes, and pressure from the Trump administration.

The Anthropic and White House relationship is said to be still deadlocked. More than a week earlier, Trump officials were said to have effectively forced Anthropic to withdraw its latest cybersecurity model. The reason is that there is a suspected jailbreak gap that can penetrate the security fence of the model.

Another report said that the relationship between Anthropic and the Trump administration deteriorated due to personal clashes between the two parties.

The tensions come months after the US Department of Defense designated Anthropic as a "supply chain risk". TechCrunch called the decision a seeming retaliation as Anthropic did not allow the government to use its technology for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons.

For identity verification, Anthropic uses Persona, a San Francisco-based company. Users can view the verification request when accessing certain features, during routine checks on the integrity of the platform, or in other safety and compliance steps.

Anthropic stated that it determined how long Persona stored user identity documents. However, an Anthropic spokesperson did not immediately explain when the data was deleted.

TechCrunch compared it to Roblox, another Persona customer. Roblox says user images are deleted immediately after processing to reduce the risk of data being leaked or stolen.

Persona can still receive requests from the United States government for user information stored on its servers.

Persona is backed by Founders Fund, an investment firm founded by Peter Thiel. Thiel is known as a Trump supporter and also invests in Anthropic.

Persona was previously criticized by users for its association with Thiel. Earlier this year, Discord had chosen Persona for age verification, but immediately canceled it after receiving rejection from users.