Anthropic requires government ID for some Claude users

Anthropic has begun requiring government-issued photo ID and a live selfie scan for select users of its Claude AI platform. The company added the requirement in a help center update published in mid-April 2026 and says prompts appear only in specific cases tied to higher-tier plans, advanced capabilities or internal safety reviews.

Users who encounter the verification request must provide a physical passport, driver’s license or national ID card and complete a live selfie check. Anthropic rejects digital copies, screenshots, temporary paper IDs and non-government credentials such as student or employee cards. The company says the process generally takes less than five minutes on a camera-enabled device.

The technical verification is handled by Persona under contract. Anthropic reports it does not store the underlying ID images on its own systems; Persona retains the images under contractual limits while Anthropic keeps verification outcomes for account review and appeals. The company says identity data is encrypted and used for identity confirmation, fraud prevention and legal compliance, and that the data will not be used to train its AI models or for marketing beyond required disclosures.

Anthropic has applied the checks when users request certain subscriptions or advanced features and when accounts are flagged in internal reviews. Some accounts for people under 18 have been suspended pending verification.

Reaction on social platforms has been mostly negative. One critic wrote, “Claude now requires government ID verification (via Persona) before subscription.” Another user posted, “ChatGPT doesn’t. Gemini doesn’t. Anthropic just handed their competitors a gift.” A forum user commented, “Goofy. Cannot wait till we have capable off-line LLMs that doesn’t cost a fortune to run.” Ryan Sean Adams wrote, “AI KYC is here. New claude subscribers asked for gov ID & photo,” and warned that regulators could follow.

OpenAI and Google’s Gemini do not require government ID verification for standard chatbot use. Some firms offer private or local-model options that do not rely on centralized identity checks.

Anthropic described the verification as a targeted integrity check intended to limit fraud and impersonation, enforce platform rules and meet legal obligations. The company framed the rollout as selective rather than a universal onboarding requirement.