Hong Kong users of Claude have reported account suspensions and difficulties accessing the artificial intelligence service, as developer Anthropic’s updated Supported Regions Policy takes effect on 12 November.
Reports of users losing access have circulated online, with a wave of complaints emerging in early October from people who said their accounts had been disabled after they used virtual private networks (VPNs) to connect from Hong Kong. Some said they had used Claude for months before encountering a problem. The total number of affected users has not been confirmed. South China Morning Post
The reports have raised concerns for people who depend on Claude for writing, research, coding and other work, particularly where access to conversations and saved information is affected.
What does the new policy say?
Anthropic’s Supported Regions Policy, effective from 12 November 2026, says its products and services are available only in the countries and regions it lists. Hong Kong is not listed as a supported region.
The policy covers Claude.ai, Claude Code, Cowork, the API and developer platform, as well as Claude models offered through cloud platforms and authorised resellers.
It says use is unsupported by people physically located in an unsupported region. It also covers entities incorporated or headquartered in an unsupported region, and entities majority-owned or controlled by people or entities in unsupported regions, including their users or personnel regardless of where those individuals are physically located.
Were Hong Kong users previously supported?
Hong Kong’s absence from Claude’s supported locations did not begin with the policy taking effect on 12 November. Anthropic’s help centre has stated that users must be physically located in a supported location to create and use Claude accounts. Anthropic: Verify your phone number
The South China Morning Post reported on 2 October that Hong Kong users were already experiencing account suspensions after connecting through VPNs. One user said they received an email from Anthropic’s safeguards team referring to suspicious signals associated with their account.
The public reports do not establish the cause of every suspension, and it is not clear how many accounts have been affected. They also do not establish that the policy effective on 12 November caused the earlier account restrictions.
What can affected users do?
Anthropic says a user who believes their account was wrongly suspended or terminated can sign in to Claude and submit an appeal for its safeguards team to investigate.
The company says self-service data export is available to banned users, although the information available may be restricted depending on the violation associated with the account. Users can check the options shown on their account screen after signing in. Anthropic: Safeguards warnings and appeals
For people who rely on Claude, the reports underline the value of keeping accessible copies of important work and checking the service’s regional rules.
