Anthropic updates Claude policy to ban abuse and election interference

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 19:31 · Archive

Anthropic has updated its usage policy to prohibit sustained abuse of its Claude AI model and restrict election interference.

Anthropic has updated its usage policy to address new and high-risk cases of misuse. The changes include bans on election interference, weapons software development, surveillance, and deceptive commercial or political campaigns.

One of the most significant changes prohibits 'sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior' toward Claude. Anthropic said the policy 'is meant to apply only in extreme cases, where users repeatedly act cruelly toward our models, with no discernible purpose. It does not apply to common versions of user frustration, pushback, dark creative themes, or model testing and research.' Terminating conversations is the 'primary enforcement mechanism' when users behave this way.

The restrictions on deceptive campaigns forbid 'efforts to obscure who is behind a message or amplify content through fake accounts or posts.' In the election section, the policy prohibits voter deception and election disruption, including spreading misinformation 'about candidates or how to vote, impersonating candidates or election officials, or trying to suppress turnout.' This update builds on August changes that allowed Claude to end conversations with persistently harmful or abusive users as part of research into 'model welfare.'

How it is being reported

• Anthropic changes usage policy to ban model abuse and election interferenceAnthropic's updated usage policy explicitly prohibits users from repeatedly abusing Claude in extreme cases, though ordinary frustration and criticism are still allowed. The new rules also address election interference, deceptive campaigns, weapons software, and surveillance.TechCrunch · 8 Oct, 19:16
• Anthropic bans ‘abusive or cruel behavior’ towards ClaudeAnthropic is making changes to its usage policy for the first time in over a year to reflect new and high-risk cases of misuse - including election interference, weapons development, surveillance, and health and financial uses. But one of the most significant changes prohibits "sustained and needless abusive or cruel behavior" toward Claude. Last August, […]The Verge · 8 Oct, 18:00

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