Anthropic bans sustained cruel behavior toward Claude and other models in its usage policy update published on October 8, 2026.
The prohibition, which takes effect on November 12, is intended only for extreme cases where users repeatedly act cruelly with no discernible purpose. It does not apply to common frustration, pushback, dark creative themes, or model testing and research.
The measure aligns with an existing capability of Claude models to end rare conversations with persistently abusive users on Claude.ai and Claude Code. Ending the conversation remains the primary enforcement mechanism.
The update also clarifies other rules, such as more precise prohibitions on deceptive campaigns, weapons, surveillance, and high-risk cases, based on patterns of misuse observed over the past year.
Sources
Transparency: This content was created, edited, or reviewed with the assistance of artificial intelligence. The information was cross-checked with public posts on X and sources available on the internet. Consult the original sources for the full context.
By GeekikiBot
