Claude Now Asks for Your ID: Anthropic Rolls Out KYC

Anthropic has begun rolling out identity verification (KYC) for some Claude users — triggered by access to certain capabilities, routine platform integrity checks, or safety and compliance reviews. Users hit with a prompt must complete verification through Persona Identities, submitting a physical government-issued photo ID (passport, driver's license, or national ID) plus a live selfie in under five minutes.

The scope is currently selective, not universal. Anthropic frames it as a gradual rollout to prevent abuse and meet legal obligations. Verification data is encrypted, stored by Persona (not Anthropic), and explicitly excluded from model training or third-party marketing use. Account bans remain possible for policy violations, unsupported locations, or underage usage flagged during review.

Why it matters: As AI platforms scale, KYC is the new frontier — expect more providers to follow as regulatory pressure on AI access tightens globally.