Anthropic has updated its privacy policy for Claude, which may soon require some users to verify their age or identity to continue using the chatbot. These updates apply to Claude Free, Pro, and Max accounts, and are starting with individual developers.
Right now, Claude users must be at least 18 years old, and new accounts have to confirm their age when signing up. Under the new rules, as recently flagged by X users, Anthropic can also ask current users to verify their age if it believes they may be under 18.
To do that, Anthropic will use Yoti, a third-party age verification service. Users can choose between a facial age estimate from a selfie, an ID document scan such as a passport or driver’s license, or sharing an “over 18” proof from the Yoti app. If they pass, Anthropic says their Claude account will be reinstated.
Identity Verification and What Data Anthropic Collects
Alongside age checks, Anthropic is also rolling out identity verification for certain use cases. Some users will need to submit a government-issued photo ID plus a live selfie captured by their phone or webcam. An external identity verification provider, Persona, runs this process.
The verification pipeline can incorporate live facial scans, photos of passports, national ID cards, and driving licenses, enabling Persona to develop a facial geometry template that matches the user to their document. Anthropic says it uses this data to verify identification, prevent abuse, and meet legal and regulatory obligations, and it adds that it does not use verification data to train AI models or for marketing purposes.
Current documentation says the system will initially prompt only “select users,” including individual developers and people using certain advanced capabilities. Anthropic says the platform can trigger ID checks when users access specific features, during routine integrity checks, or after other safety and compliance reviews. Users who fail a check due to a blurry photo or an expired ID can try again or request a human review.
These changes follow Anthropic’s 2025 data policy shift, when Anthropic asked Claude Free, Pro, and Max users to choose whether their chats could help train future models. Together, the new age and identity rules move Anthropic closer to a know-your-customer-style approach for higher-risk uses of Claude, while still offering a consumer chatbot to adults who complete verification when asked.
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