Anthropic has updated its support documentation to clarify that Claude is no longer available to users under the legal age of majority. The company has introduced what it calls an age assurance mechanism, a verification process intended to confirm that active accounts belong to adults, in line with the minimum age requirements already stated in its terms of service.
The move comes amid growing scrutiny of conversational AI providers over minor safety. Several companies in the sector, including OpenAI and Character.AI, have faced controversy and litigation in recent months tied to problematic interactions between their chatbots and young users, particularly around sensitive topics such as mental health and self-harm.
The shift toward stricter age verification represents a notable change for Anthropic, whose terms previously set a minimum age without a systematic enforcement mechanism. In practice, this means accounts suspected of belonging to minors could see access restricted or suspended, though the company has not publicly detailed the exact technical methods used for detection.
The update reflects a broader industry pattern: as conversational assistants become more capable of sustained, emotionally engaging interactions, both regulators and companies themselves are moving to limit risks tied to youth usage, often by restricting access outright rather than redesigning products for younger users.