Skip to main content

Anthropic—Blocked third-party coding tools from using Claude subscriptions overnight

Anthropic implemented strict technical safeguards preventing third-party applications from using Claude subscriptions, blocking OpenCode (56k GitHub stars), xAI employees via Cursor, and anyone using subscription OAuth outside Claude Code. Critics called it 'very customer hostile.'

Scoring Impact

TopicDirectionRelevanceContribution
User Autonomy-againstprimary-1.00
Overall incident score =-0.572

Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (medium ×1) × confidence (0.57)

Evidence (1 signal)

Confirms Policy Change Jan 9, 2026 documented

Anthropic blocked third-party coding tools from using Claude subscriptions on January 9, 2026

On January 9, 2026 at 02:20 UTC, Anthropic implemented strict technical safeguards preventing third-party applications from accessing Claude AI models through subscriptions, showing error 'This credential is only authorized for use with Claude Code.' This blocked OpenCode (56k GitHub stars, 150k weekly npm downloads) and other popular tools. Developers paying $100-200/month cancelled subscriptions en masse, generating 147+ GitHub reactions and 245 Hacker News points. DHH called it 'very customer hostile.'

VentureBeat(opens in new tab),Byteiota(opens in new tab),Paddo.dev(opens in new tab)

Related: Same Topics

Inrupt · Deployed Solid data pods for 6 million Flanders citizens and partnered with NHS, BBC, NatWest for data sovereignty
Zepto · India's CCPA fined Zepto ₹7 lakh for using dark patterns including drip pricing and basket sneaking
Reddit · Reddit removed volunteer moderator teams from subreddits that protested API pricing changes
Tim Berners-Lee · Called for breaking up Facebook and Google - consistently criticized surveillance capitalism and addictive design
Tim Berners-Lee · Approved DRM in web browsers over objections from EFF and open web advocates - EFF resigned from W3C in protest