Anthropic Throws Users’ Data Privacy to the Wolves

Anthropic’s latest consumer policy update has left many users feeling more puzzled than reassured. On August 28, the company announced that chats and coding sessions from Claude’s Free, Pro and Max plans may now be used for model training, unless individuals explicitly opt out. Yet, the process of opting out seems less straightforward than suggested. At the core of this update is a new five-year data retention rule, replacing the previous 30-day limit for users who allow their data to be used for training. Anthropic argues that this will strengthen safeguards against scams and abuse, while also improving Claude’s coding, analysis and reasoning skills. Yet, because the option is enabled by default, critics worry that many users may not realise what they’re consenting to. The u