TL;DRAnthropic’s updated privacy policy requires some Claude users to submit government IDs and selfies for identity verification.
Anthropic has updated its privacy policy to allow the company to require some Claude users to upload government-issued identification and submit selfie photos or videos for identity verification. The updated policy, which takes effect on July 8, introduces a new category of personal data collection that includes facial geometry templates, a data type that may qualify as biometric information under state privacy laws.
The change was first reported by TechCrunch, which obtained details of the updated identity verification policy published on June 17. Anthropic spokesperson Thariq Shihipar told the outlet the requirement applies to a “small subset of users” whose accounts have been flagged for potential policy violations but not outright banned, giving them a path to appeal through identity verification rather than losing access entirely.
Accepted documents include passports, driver’s licences, state or provincial IDs, and national identity cards. Digital IDs, screenshots, and photocopies are not accepted. Users who submit verification materials will also be asked to provide a selfie photo or video, which the system uses to generate a facial geometry template for matching against the submitted document.
