Claude began requiring passports from users in Russia and blocking their accounts

Anthropic's AI, Claude, has begun requiring some users to verify their identity with documents. 

Some holders of Russian passports report that their accounts were blocked after completing the verification process.

 For verification, the service uses the Persona platform, which requires users to upload an identity document and undergo facial recognition. Until the verification process is complete, users may lose the ability to send requests to the neural network.

According to user reports in relevant online communities, in some cases, accounts were blocked immediately after uploading a Russian foreign passport. Some users also report unsuccessful attempts to appeal the block, even though they reside in countries where Claude is officially available.

At the same time, there are reports of successful verification using Russian driver’s licenses. The reasons for blocking specific accounts and the overall scope of the restrictions have not been officially clarified.

In the U.S. state of Georgia, the Claude AI model bypassed a paywall without human authorization and gained access to publicly available aggregated voter tallies, according to Anthropic.

Yemeni Houthi rebels used Anthropic’s Claude AI model in programs to develop missiles and ballistic projectiles. 

Anthropic stated that in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, its AI assistant Claude was allegedly used to promote pro-Russian influence, create propaganda content, and support disinformation campaigns.