Anthropic Tightens VPN Access to Claude, Leaving Hong Kong Users Stranded

In one line: Anthropic has reportedly tightened its crackdown on VPN-based access to Claude, leaving users in Hong Kong — which is not on the company's supported-regions list — struggling to connect, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Key points

• Hong Kong is not among Anthropic's officially supported countries and territories, so local users had reportedly relied on VPNs to reach Claude.
• A recent tightening of restrictions on VPN-based connections appears to have cut off some of those users.
• The exact enforcement method, timing, and scale of impact have not been officially confirmed.

Why it matters

The episode highlights how a generative-AI provider's regional access policy directly shapes who can actually use the tool. In jurisdictions with complex regulatory or sanctions exposure, "not officially supported" can translate into an outright block — a factor that may push local developers and businesses toward alternative AI tools.

Read more

• Hong Kong users caught offguard as Anthropic tightens VPN access to Claude — South China Morning Post