Provision record
Anthropic · Anthropic API Usage Policy · View original document ↗

Prohibition on Psychological Manipulation and Deceptive Content

High severity Common · 283 of 352 platforms
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This analysis describes what Anthropic's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision establishes a use restriction that defines prohibited application categories for API access. It operationalizes Anthropic's content policy by excluding applications designed around manipulative or emotionally harmful deception from authorized use cases.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

High Feb 27, 2026

The Pentagon's supply chain risk designation does not directly modify Anthropic's consumer-facing terms of service, but creates government-level procurement restrictions that may affect Anthropic's ability to contract with federal agencies and defense contractors. The designation reflects the Department of Defense's assessment that Anthropic's acceptable use policy restrictions on mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons present supply chain governance concerns under federal law. Commercial users of Anthropic's services are not directly subject to this designation, but federal agencies, defense contractors, and government-dependent organizations may face new contracting or compliance obligations when evaluating Anthropic as a vendor.

View change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Users of the Anthropic API are prohibited from building applications that incorporate deceptive techniques intended to cause emotional harm. Violation of this restriction constitutes a breach of the usage policy and may result in service termination.

How other platforms handle this

ActiveCampaign Medium

Delete or revise any material, including Marketing Content, posted by another person or entity;

Mailchimp Medium

Send content created in Mailchimp through another service.

TikTok Medium

use TikTok Content...another user's content or generative AI-enabled features for commercial purposes unless permitted by TikTok USDS Joint Venture or the user, respectively...

See all platforms with this clause type →
▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
Develop a new product or service, or support an existing product or service that employs or facilitates deceptive techniques with the intent of causing emotional harm

Excerpt from Anthropic's API Usage Policy

Applicable regulations

CFAA
United States Federal
DMCA
United States Federal
DSA
European Union
Trump Executive Order on AI Policy Framework
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
Anthropic API Usage Policy
Entity
Anthropic
Document last updated
May 11, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
March 6, 2026
Last verified
April 28, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-000118
Document ID
CA-D-00013
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
fe6f60bf15130bb0c59c7054ad8111501f08769394cd72b598d456d524e13f2e
Analysis generated
March 6, 2026 20:36 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: Anthropic
Document: Anthropic API Usage Policy
Record ID: CA-P-000118
Captured: 2026-03-06 20:36:08 UTC
SHA-256: fe6f60bf15130bb0…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/anthropic/anthropic-api-usage-policy/provision/CA-P-000118/prohibition-on-psychological-manipulation-and-deceptive-content/
Accessed: Sept. 23, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Anthropic's Prohibition on Psychological Manipulation and Deceptive Content clause do?

This provision establishes a use restriction that defines prohibited application categories for API access. It operationalizes Anthropic's content policy by excluding applications designed around manipulative or emotionally harmful deception from authorized use cases.

How does this clause affect you?

Users of the Anthropic API are prohibited from building applications that incorporate deceptive techniques intended to cause emotional harm. Violation of this restriction constitutes a breach of the usage policy and may result in service termination.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 283 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with Anthropic?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic.