Some Claude Users Face ID Checks and Selfie Scans as Russian Users Report Account Bans

Anthropic is asking some Claude users to submit government-issued identification and, in certain cases, a live selfie as part of its identity verification process. However, Russian passport holders say their accounts have been suspended after completing the checks, including one paying subscriber living in New Zealand, where the AI service is officially available.

According to a report by Meduza, complaints have appeared on Reddit, X and Telegram from users who say they lost access to Claude after submitting Russian identity documents.

Although the timing of the reported suspensions has raised questions about whether Russian passports are triggering account bans, there is currently no independently verified evidence that nationality alone is responsible.

The verification process is not being applied to every Claude user. Anthropic says it may ask people to verify their identity in certain circumstances, including when accessing specific capabilities or as part of routine security, safety and compliance checks.

The company uses Persona Identities, a third-party verification provider, to carry out the checks. Users may be asked to upload a physical government-issued photo ID, such as a passport, driving licence or national identity card. In some cases, they must also complete a live selfie check.

Anthropic says the information is used to confirm a user's identity and meet legal and safety obligations, rather than to train its AI models. According to its help centre, Persona collects and holds the ID and selfie images, while Anthropic acts as the data controller and can access verification records through Persona when reviewing appeals.

Russian User Says Claude Account Was Blocked After ID Check

One of the complaints highlighted by Meduza came from a Reddit user who said they were a Russian citizen living in New Zealand on a valid four-year visa.

The user said they were a paying Claude and Claude Code subscriber and regularly used the tools for development, work and personal projects. However, after being asked to verify their identity, they submitted their Russian international passport and found their account suspended immediately afterwards.

The user also pointed out that their subscription payment had been taken just two days before the suspension.

'No explanation, no warning, just suspended.'

The subscriber stressed that they were not living in Russia and did not hold New Zealand permanent residency or citizenship. They also noted that New Zealand is among the countries where Anthropic officially supports Claude.

Other users with Russian identity documents in Georgia and Armenia reportedly described similar experiences. Meduza also cited a Georgian user's account of receiving a security-related message from Anthropic after their access was revoked.

The message reportedly stated: 'Our automated systems detected a large number of signals associated with your account that violate our Usage Policy.'

It continued: 'These signals were, in turn, reviewed by our team to confirm the system's findings. As a result, we have revoked your access to Claude.'

The message was shared by a user and reported by Meduza; its authenticity has not been independently established.

Anthropic's Rules Do Not Explicitly Ban Russian Citizens

The reports have raised questions about whether Anthropic is restricting access based on citizenship or nationality. However, the company's published guidance does not identify Russian citizenship itself as grounds for an account suspension.

Anthropic's supported-regions information lists New Zealand among the locations where Claude is available, while Russia is not included. This distinction matters because the location from which someone accesses the service and the nationality shown on their identity document are not necessarily the same.

Meduza also reported that another user who said they had been blocked after submitting a Russian passport was unable to restore their account through the appeal process.

The report also described identity checks involving users with Chinese citizenship, although some Chinese passport holders said they had completed verification. This suggests that the reported experiences are not limited to Russian documents, although the available accounts do not establish a common reason for the checks or subsequent suspensions.

Anthropic's help centre says identity verification may be required for a limited number of use cases. It also explains that verification can fail for reasons such as an unreadable or expired document, a blurry photograph, an incorrect registration number or a technical issue.

Importantly, a failed identity check and an account ban are not necessarily the same thing. Anthropic says accounts may be suspended or banned for various reasons, including repeated violations of its Usage Policy or Terms of Service. Users who believe their accounts have been wrongly banned can submit an appeal.

Why Are Claude Users Reporting Account Suspensions?

The reports have emerged amid wider concerns about access to Claude from countries where the service is not officially supported.

Earlier in October, Russian technology publication Habr reported that some users in unsupported regions, including Russia, had experienced account suspensions while attempting to access Claude using VPNs.

That report offers a possible alternative explanation for some account restrictions, but it does not establish that VPN use or location-related signals caused the suspensions described by Russian passport holders. Habr's article was published by Aurorium, a company that sells anti-detection browser technology, and its technical explanations should therefore be treated with caution.

Meduza reported that Anthropic had not publicly commented on the specific complaints. The company has also said it cannot verify the authenticity of individual user posts.

For now, the reported cases leave an important question unanswered: are users being suspended because of the passports they submit, or are other account, location or security signals contributing to the decisions?

The available evidence does not establish that Russian citizenship alone is triggering Claude account bans. Until Anthropic clarifies how its verification and enforcement systems are handling these cases, the reported suspensions remain allegations from affected users rather than confirmation of a nationality-based restriction.