Anthropic Policy Update Bans Third-Party Tools for Claude Pro/Max Users

Policy Change and Enforcement

Anthropic updated their policy in February 2026 to explicitly prohibit the use of any script, wrapper, or third-party tool with Claude Pro or Max 20x plans. According to the source, using even a single script or wrapper around your consumer OAuth token is now banned as "third-party tool" usage. This includes OpenClaw-style agents, IDE extensions, or personal automation tools.

Enforcement Details

The enforcement is described as aggressive, with users reporting lifetime bans for violations. The source states that the fastest way to get lifetime-banned currently is to buy the high-tier Max plan and use the extra compute. Power users who upgraded in March 2026 and started heavy coding sessions are reportedly being banned with zero warning, no specific reasons provided, and little success with appeals.

Free-tier users appear to be mostly unaffected by this enforcement, while paying users who demonstrate high usage are being targeted.

Technical Enforcement Methods

Anthropic is using device fingerprinting to enforce these bans. According to the source, this means that even logging in from the same laptop after a ban can result in new accounts being terminated. The enforcement is affecting not just specific groups but "regular high-usage personal accounts."

Official Policy and Appeals

The official policy can be found at https://code.claude.com/docs/en/legal-and-compliance. For users who have been banned, the only recourse mentioned is the safeguards appeal form, though results are described as "spotty."