Anthropic asks users to stop being mean to Claude

Anthropic updated its usage policy to prohibit sustained abusive behavior toward Claude, its AI chatbot, effective November 12, 2026, though the company clarified the rule applies only to extreme cases of deliberate cruelty, not common frustration or testing. The broader policy overhaul also tightens restrictions on deceptive influence campaigns and election interference while relaxing blanket bans on political targeting to allow legitimate activities like voter information translation. The move raises questions about distinguishing between legitimate user criticism and gratuitous abuse, though Anthropic plans to rely primarily on Claude's existing ability to end abusive conversations.