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Anthropic says China users shouldn't have used its Claude Code AI
🇨🇳 China /Technology

Anthropic says China users shouldn't have used its Claude Code AI

From South China Morning Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • US AI firm Anthropic stated that users in China were not authorized to use its Claude Code product, responding to Beijing's warning about security risks.
  • China's National Vulnerability Database flagged Claude Code for a built-in monitoring mechanism that could send sensitive user information to a remote server without consent.
  • Anthropic confirmed embedding hidden code to track user locations and prevent model distillation, with China recommending users uninstall affected versions.

US artificial intelligence company Anthropic has responded to warnings from China regarding its Claude Code product. Beijing had cautioned Chinese users against the tool, citing security "backdoor" risks and a potential threat to national security.

users in China being advised to uninstall its flagship Claude Code product were not supposed to be using it in the first place

— AnthropicAnthropic's response to China's warning about security risks.

According to a post on the WeChat account of China’s National Vulnerability Database, Claude Code allegedly features a "built-in monitoring mechanism." This mechanism, China claims, could transmit sensitive user information to a remote server without the user's knowledge or consent. The warning specifically applied to versions of Claude Code released between April and late June.

poses “a serious threat” to Chinese users

— China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT)Describing the security risks of Anthropic's Claude Code.

Anthropic acknowledged last week that it had incorporated hidden code into Claude Code. The company stated this was to monitor user locations and prevent unauthorized "distillation" of its AI models. In response to China's alert, Anthropic clarified that users in China were never intended to access or use the product, implying the security concerns were raised in an unauthorized context. The company advised users with affected versions to uninstall or upgrade to the latest secure version.

built-in monitoring mechanism

— China’s National Vulnerability DatabaseDescribing the alleged security flaw in Claude Code.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by South China Morning Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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