Anthropic Bans Cruel Treatment of the Claude Neural Network

What else changed in Anthropic's policy?

In addition to the ban on cruel treatment of Claude, the company made a number of other changes to the document.

Fighting fakes and manipulation. Anthropic consolidated into a separate section the bans on creating networks of fake accounts, fake news sites, and running deceptive information campaigns — both political and commercial.

Political advertising. The company lifted its blanket ban on personalized political targeting. However, deceiving voters, spreading false information about voting, and the unlawful use of personal data remain prohibited.

Weapons development. Anthropic clarified that Claude may not be used not only to create weapons, but also to develop control software, weapons components, and equipping drones with weapons.

Surveillance of people. The company specified the ban on tracking people without their consent.

Decisions in sensitive areas. Requirements for the use of AI in medicine, finance, and legally significant matters have been clarified. Decisions must be supervised by a qualified professional, and affected individuals must be notified about the use of AI.

Control of physical devices. Requirements were added for equipment that operates autonomously under Claude's control. The operator must be able to stop the device, and if communication with the neural network is lost, it must remain in a safe state.

Regional restrictions. Anthropic clarified that the ban on using Claude in unsupported regions also extends to companies controlled by individuals or organizations from those regions.

Why does this matter for business?

The policy update affects all corporate users of Claude.ai and Claude Code. Companies using Claude in medicine, finance, legal practice, or in managing autonomous equipment are now required to comply with clearer requirements — from notifying people to guarantees of safe device shutdown.

For marketers, the lifting of the blanket ban on personalized political targeting is significant — while strict guardrails against disinformation remain in place. At the same time, the rules against networks of fake accounts and deceptive campaigns have been tightened, which directly affects astroturfing and manipulation practices.

The new rules take effect on November 12, 2026 — before that date, users should align their internal policies and processes with Anthropic's updated requirements.