Anthropic's Claude bans 11.4 million accounts in six months, only 42,000 reinstated

Anthropic reported that over 11.4 million Claude accounts were suspended in the first half of 2026, with only 42,000 reinstated after appeals. The company’s security report, released on July 23, detailed the scale of the account closures, which averaged nearly 1.9 million per month. Developers and users described the process as nearly impossible, with many facing permanent account closures after submitting appeals. One developer shared that their team’s work, including thousands of lines of code and project records, was erased without explanation. Anthropic also announced new restrictions effective November 12, 2026, expanding banned activities. A GitHub repository tracks the bans, but users say the system is largely unyielding. The report highlights the growing reliance on AI tools like Claude, raising concerns about user control over their digital assets.