Anthropic updates Claude usage policy

Anthropic has published its annual Usage Policy update, which takes effect on November 12. The company says most of the changes clarify existing rules. They respond to Claude doing longer, more independent work and to misuse it has seen in influence operations, weapons development and surveillance.

Deceptive campaigns. Rules that had been spread across the elections, fraud, privacy and disinformation sections now sit in one section, Do Not Engage in Deceptive Campaigns or Artificial Activity. It covers political and commercial activity alike, including hiding who is behind a message, amplifying content through fake accounts and building infrastructure for influence operations.

Elections. The section has been renamed Do Not Undermine Democratic Processes and now focuses on deceiving voters or disrupting elections. Anthropic removed its blanket ban on personalized vote and campaign targeting. It said the ban had caught legitimate civic work, such as ballot cure notices. Deceptive targeting and misuse of voter data are still prohibited under other sections.

Weapons and surveillance. The policy now states that the weapons ban covers guidance and control software and arming drones. It also prohibits tracking people without their consent, using Claude to recommend who to investigate, arrest or charge, and building surveillance tools. Anthropic says neither change alters how it enforces the policy in practice.

Physical hardware. After its Model Hardware Standard, the policy adds rules for when Claude controls equipment that acts on its own and could injure someone. A qualified operator must be able to watch the equipment and stop it, and the equipment must hold a safe state if Claude disconnects.

Abuse toward models. A new rule bans sustained and needless cruelty toward Claude. Anthropic says it applies only in extreme cases with no clear purpose, not to ordinary user frustration. The source text is cut off before this section ends.