Anthropic Requires ID and Selfie Checks for Claude

Anthropic has introduced identity verification for Claude, requiring users to submit a government-issued photo ID and, in some cases, a live selfie. The process is handled by third-party provider Persona, with Anthropic stating that ID images are not stored directly and data will not be used for model training or marketing. The move makes Anthropic the first major AI chatbot provider to implement such checks, setting it apart from rivals OpenAI and Google. However, the decision risks alienating users and undermining the company's privacy-focused reputation, particularly after Discord faced significant backlash over similar facial scan and ID verification measures earlier this year.