China's gray market sells cheap Claude access

Anthropic blocks users in China with tough security checks like geofencing and selfie requirements. Despite these barriers, a network of transfer stations now sells Claude access tokens for a fraction of the official price.

These black market services let local developers use powerful models without going through official channels. The tokens often sell for as little as ten percent of what legitimate customers pay.

Security experts worry that this trade undermines export controls. It also means Anthropic loses control over who uses its technology and how it is applied.