Claude is only available to people over 18 years

Who Should Read

Developers who use Claude at work or in products and want to understand account suspension and age verification rules

Core Mechanics

• Claude consumer product is 18+ only
  • You must confirm you're 18 or over when setting up an account.
  • If signals suggest you're under 18, you're asked to verify age before continuing.
• Suspected minor accounts get disabled
  • Safety systems disable accounts based on indicators of minor activity.
  • A notification email contains a Yoti verification link.
  • Passing verification reinstates the account.
• Three ways to verify
  • Facial age estimation uses a selfie and needs no ID document.
  • You can upload a photo of a passport, driving license, or national ID.
  • If you have the Yoti Digital ID app, you can share a verified over-18 attribute.
• Yoti deletes data right after the check
  • Yoti is described as independently audited for SOC2 compliance.
  • Yoti deletes selfies, document images, and personal data as soon as age is checked.

Community Reactions

• Privacy concerns about the method
  • One commenter cited a report of 153 million driver's licenses sold after a third-party ID verification breach, saying pass/fail-only doesn't reassure them.
  • Another shared an article saying Yoti was fined $1 million for biometric data violations.
• A real lockout experience
  • A parent in Germany said their 17-year-old was locked out after mentioning his age while discussing schoolwork.
  • The parent confirmed the account was banned.
• Not new, commenters said
  • Commenters said the policy dates to December 2025 and the support page was linked in January 2026.
  • They said the ToS already prohibited minors back in February 2024.
• OS-level flag proposed
  • One commenter suggested parents set a child flag at the OS level that apps must respect.
  • The idea is no ID verification and responsibility with the guardian.

How to Apply

• Share the policy with team account users
  • Today, tell teammates and interns using Claude consumer accounts that it is 18+ only.
  • Explain that the Yoti link in a suspension email is the official process.
• Check limits if you serve minors
  • If you recommend the Claude consumer app for education or youth use, check the 18+ condition first.
  • Read related docs such as Claude for Education to confirm scope.
• Minimize data in your own age checks
  • If you add age verification, design it to receive only a pass/fail result like Yoti does.
  • Don't store ID images; make sure the verifier deletes them.

Terminology

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Related Resources

• https://support.claude.com/en/articles/15171100-age-assurance-on-claude
• https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/09/fbi-probes-service-selli...
• https://www.biometricupdate.com/202603/spains-aepd-fines-yot...
• https://www.anthropic.com/news/protecting-well-being-of-user...
• https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47775633