Recently, the leading artificial intelligence company Anthropic informed some users of its latest policy changes through internal emails: starting from July 8, 2026, all users of its Claude platform, including free, Pro, and Max subscription users, will be required to complete real-name identity verification.
According to the information, the current identity verification process requires users to upload government-issued ID documents with photos and simultaneously undergo real-time facial scanning for comparison. The data processing will be fully handled by a third-party authentication platform called Persona. For most users, this means that before using the Claude series of models in the future, they must first pass this "face + document" verification step.
Regarding the privacy concerns raised by users, Anthropic emphasized in its policy update statement that the collected identity verification data will be strictly used for compliance review and promised that the data will not be used for model training or improvement, alleviating concerns about privacy leaks.
Industry analysts point out that Anthropic's move is not an isolated business action but rather an inevitable trend in the large model industry in response to global regulatory pressures. Through real-name systems, companies can more effectively prevent the misuse of models for generating malicious content, cyber attacks, or illegal activities.
Currently, this policy change has sparked heated discussions on social platforms. For global users, this marks the beginning of a more rigorous AI interaction environment. As the application of large models becomes increasingly widespread, how to balance user convenience and regulatory compliance will become a common challenge for all AI manufacturers in the coming period.
