Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI assistant, has begun rolling out identity verification for users accessing specific features or undergoing routine platform integrity checks. The announcement does not specify which particular capabilities or actions will trigger the requirement.
The company said the measure is intended to prevent abuse, enforce usage policies, and comply with legal obligations. Users may encounter a verification prompt when accessing certain capabilities or as part of standard safety and compliance procedures.
Anthropic has selected Persona Identities as its verification partner. The process requires a valid, physical government-issued photo ID such as a passport, driving licence, or national identity card. Users must also have a phone or computer with a camera to take a live selfie. The company states that verification typically takes under five minutes.
Digital or mobile IDs, photocopies, scans, temporary paper documents, and non-government identification such as student cards or employee badges are not accepted.
Under the arrangement, Anthropic acts as the data controller, setting rules for how verification information is used and retained. Persona processes the data on Anthropic's behalf. The ID images and selfies are collected and stored by Persona, not on Anthropic's own systems. Anthropic can access verification records through Persona's platform when necessary, for example, during an appeal review, but does not copy or store the images itself.
The company emphasised several limitations on data use. Verification data is not used to train AI models. It is not shared with third parties for marketing or advertising. Persona is contractually restricted to using the data only for providing verification services and improving fraud prevention, and must delete it according to retention limits set by Anthropic and applicable law.
If verification fails, users are given multiple attempts and are advised to check for blurry images, unreadable documents, or expired identification. Those who exhaust their attempts can contact Anthropic for review.
The company also noted that accounts may be banned following verification for reasons including repeated policy violations, creation from unsupported locations, terms of service breaches, or underage use. An appeal process is available for users who believe their account was disabled in error.
