Anthropic Clarifies Ban on Third-Party Harnesses for Claude Subscriptions
Narrative
Anthropic updates its subscription terms to explicitly prohibit third-party harnesses, wrappers, and spoofed integrations used to access Claude models outside official channels. The clarification targets unauthorized routing through IDE tools and intermediary platforms that attempt to bypass API pricing structures by simulating direct subscription usage.
Reality
Clarified February 20, 2026, following technical enforcement mechanisms introduced in January. Policy does not affect sanctioned API access or approved integrations. Primarily aimed at preventing cost circumvention via modified IDE connectors and third-party routing layers.
Implication
Signals tightening ecosystem control as model subscription tiers become economically significant. Reinforces separation between consumer subscriptions and developer API usage. Reflects broader platform governance shift among frontier labs toward stricter enforcement as margins compress and enterprise monetization scales.