Recently, the AI company Anthropic announced that it will impose weekly usage limits on users of its Claude product, citing that some users frequently used Claude Code, causing excessive system load. The new usage limits will take effect on August 28. Users will not only be subject to the existing 5-hour limit but also face additional weekly restrictions. Anthropic stated that this measure will mainly affect about 5% of users.
This news has caused many developers and users to express dissatisfaction, arguing that punishing the majority of compliant users for the actions of a few violators is an "collective punishment." They are concerned that these throttling measures may accelerate the speed at which some companies reach their usage limits in long-term projects.
In a statement, Anthropic said: "Since the launch of Claude Code, demand has increased sharply. The plans we designed for developers should have provided generous usage quotas, but we have also noticed some violations such as account sharing and resale, which affected the experience of all users." In an email to Claude subscription users, they added that they have identified "continuous operation of Claude" usage patterns, which have impacted system capacity.
Regarding the new usage limits, Anthropic did not specify the exact throttling quotas, but mentioned that most Claude Max20x users can use "Sonnet4 for 240 to 480 hours per week and Opus4 for 24 to 40 hours per week." Users who heavily use the Opus model or run multiple Claude Code instances may reach these limits earlier.
For users who reach the usage limits, Anthropic said they can purchase additional usage quotas at standard API rates to continue working. Many enterprises may have already reached agreements with Anthropic regarding usage limits, but some companies might be using certain Claude subscription plans, meaning they may need to purchase extra usage quotas to complete their projects.
In addition, Anthropic also admitted that some users have encountered reliability issues while using Claude and stated that they are working to resolve these issues in the coming days. Although some users understand the throttling, many others believe it undoubtedly weakens the user experience for legitimate users.
Key Points:
🌟 Anthropic will impose weekly usage limits on Claude users, mainly affecting about 5% of users.
🔧 Developers expressed dissatisfaction with the throttling policy, considering it unreasonable to punish compliant users.
💡 Users can purchase additional usage quotas at standard API rates to ensure continuous project work.