The AUP prohibits using Claude to make or recommend decisions in criminal justice processes, to conduct non-consensual surveillance of individuals including via facial recognition or predictive policing, and to build or enhance surveillance infrastructure for these prohibited uses.
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
This provision categorically excludes a range of law enforcement, criminal justice, and surveillance applications from permitted use, establishing explicit prohibitions on facial recognition, battlefield management, predictive policing, and non-consensual individual tracking as distinct named examples.
The updated policy clarifies that Anthropic's acceptable use rules apply to all users of its products and services, including API developers, cloud customers, and app users. The policy now explicitly prohibits weapons development and related activities, and introduces a Cyber Verification Program allowing researchers to apply for adjusted safeguards for authorized dual-use work. Enforcement procedures now include warnings and throttling in addition to suspension or termination. You can apply for the Cyber Verification Program or Life Sciences Verification Program if your work involves authorized dual-use or high-risk use cases covered by real-time safeguards.
View change record →⚠ The terms will apply as written, and operators using Claude for prohibited law enforcement or surveillance purposes may have access throttled, limited, suspended, or terminated by Anthropic's Safeguards Team.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Prohibition on Surveillance, Predictive Policing, and Law Enforcement Decision-Making and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →"Make or suggest decisions in law enforcement or criminal justice processes, including decisions to investigate, charge, arrest or detain, prosecute, sentence, or grant or revoke early or conditional release Target or track a person or their property without that person's consent by monitoring their physical location, biometrics, movements, online activities, communications, or associations, whether in real time, on an ongoing basis, or through analysis of previously collected data. This includes using our products for facial recognition, battlefield management, predictive policing, or monitoring in law enforcement investigations.Excerpt from Anthropic's API Usage Policy
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages the EU AI Act's prohibited AI practices (Article 5), which explicitly bans real-time remote biometric identification in public spaces, social scoring, and predictive policing systems in the EU.
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This provision categorically excludes a range of law enforcement, criminal justice, and surveillance applications from permitted use, establishing explicit prohibitions on facial recognition, battlefield management, predictive policing, and non-consensual individual tracking as distinct named examples.
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