Update on identity, age verification for Claude prompts user pushback

Anthropic, developer of the popular chatbot Claude, has updated its privacy policy with a notice that it could ask users to confirm their age or identity using biometric technology from Persona.

In a section of its policy on Verification Data, Anthropic says “in certain circumstances, we may ask you to verify your age or identity. If you choose to do so, data we will collect includes, depending on the method: an image of your government-issued identity document and the information appearing on it (such as your ID number and date of birth); your image in photo or video form, facial geometry templates (which may be considered ‘biometric data’ in some jurisdictions); and the result of the verification (for example, whether your age meets the applicable threshold).”

This covers a wide spectrum of methods and use cases for biometric tools, but the policy does not specify further what “certain circumstances” would prompt document identity verification. However, as online safety legislation is applied to social media platforms globally, AI chatbots are regularly flagged as the next online risk requiring regulatory attention – and possibly age assurance. 

Changes to Anthropic’s Claude policy take effect on July 8.

Disgruntled users

The company added limited biometric ID verification to Claude in April. In ramping up the process, it has ruffled feathers among its users. One of the concerns raised is Anthropic’s selection of Founder’s Fund-backed Persona for IDV. Founders Fund was co-founded by Peter Thiel and is also an investor in Anthropic.

An AI summary of a Reddit thread on the issue, which highlights new changes to data disclosure policies, declares that “the community is overwhelmingly against this new privacy policy, viewing it as a major betrayal of trust and the beginning of Anthropic’s ‘enshittification’.”

The situation illustrates how reputational trust can erode downstream from an initial expression of doubt. Claude users have raised the same concerns that Discord users expressed when Persona’s age assurance was applied selectively on that platform. At the time however, Persona COO Christie Kim addressed the Thiel issue, noting that as an investor he is not involved in the firm’s operations. “He is not on our board, does not advise us, has no role in our operations or decision-making, and is not directly involved with Persona in any way.”

Anthropic has seized the tech headlines recently with its too-hot-for-public-consumption model Mythos 5 and its sibling Fable 5. The code-breaking model, which Scientific American says “operates like a senior software engineer, demonstrating an ability to spot subtle bugs and self-correct mistakes,” has elicited heated protest from cybersecurity experts. Last week, the company had to revoke access to the models due to a U.S. export control directive citing national security concerns. Capitalizing on the worry, Anthropic itself has claimed the model is too powerful for public release.

Reports say the White House is currently working with Anthropic to restore the models.

Article Topics

age verification  |  Anthropic  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  identity verification  |  Persona