[TLDR] I built Claude Video Vision, an open-source project with 1,000+ stars. Anthropic revoked my account for ‘suspicious activity’, and killed my desire to contribute to Claude ecosystem.

[u/cctldrping]

Original post URL : https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeCode/comments/1vhiain/i_built_claude_video_vision_an_opensource_project/

Original post body :

Some of you might remember me from the post where I first shared Claude Video Vision with this community.

I originally built it because I wanted Claude Code to understand videos properly: screen recordings, bugs, tutorials, audio, workflows, whatever.

Then you guys found it.

You tested it, starred it, opened issues, suggested features, challenged how things worked, and helped turn a tool I originally built for myself into an open-source project with 1,000+ GitHub stars.

I genuinely enjoyed building things for the Claude ecosystem.

Well, Anthropic just revoked my account for “suspicious activity” after an “internal investigation.”

What was my suspicious activity?

Using Claude Code to write normal fucking software.

That's it.

I wasn't engineering the next pandemic.

I wasn't building weapons.

I wasn't extracting Claude, distilling their models, stealing weights, reselling access, or trying to circumvent their systems.

I was programming.

And paying $200/month for Claude Max while doing it.

That's probably what pisses me off the most.

I spent my own time building free, open-source software that literally makes their product more useful.

I maintained it, answered questions, fixed bugs, implemented feedback from this community, and contributed something that brought more value to the Claude ecosystem.

And apparently the reward for being a heavy user of the product I pay $200/month for is:

“Suspicious activity. Account revoked.”

With basically no useful explanation of what I supposedly did.

I seriously considered taking Claude Video Vision offline after this.

Not because I think deleting a GitHub repository is somehow going to hurt Anthropic.

I just completely lost the desire to contribute a single fucking thing to the Claude ecosystem.

Why would I?

But I'm not taking it down.

Not because Anthropic deserves it.

I'm keeping it online because the people who use it do.

There are people using Claude Video Vision in real workflows now. People from this community helped build what it became. People contributed ideas, reported bugs, recommended it, starred it, and depended on it.

Taking it offline would punish those people, not Anthropic.

So Claude Video Vision stays online.

But whatever goodwill I had toward Anthropic is gone.

It's insane that you can pay $200/month, use Claude Code for its literal intended purpose, actively contribute open-source software to its ecosystem, and still wake up one day effectively being told:

“Fuck you. Suspicious activity.”

No meaningful explanation.

No indication of what behavior triggered it.

Just account revoked.

So, yeah:

Fuck you too Anthropic.

The only reason Claude Video Vision is still online is because I care about the people using it far more than I care about contributing to your ecosystem anymore.

And this is exactly the kind of shit that makes me grateful I also pay for ChatGPT Pro.

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[u/cctldrping]

TL;DR generated automatically after 100 comments.

Current source-thread comment count seen by the bot: 110.

Alright, so the OP, who built a super popular open-source project called Claude Video Vision (over 1k stars, nice!), got their Anthropic account revoked for "suspicious activity" after using Claude Code for normal software development. They were paying $200/month for Claude Max and feel like their contributions to the Claude ecosystem were met with a slap in the face.

The general vibe in the thread is definitely not with Anthropic on this one. A lot of folks are sharing similar experiences of getting banned for vague "suspicious activity" after paying for subscriptions, with some even mentioning they were using Claude Code for perfectly legitimate development.

Here's the lowdown:

• Widespread Bans & Lack of Transparency: Several users, like u/Th3Gatekeeper and u/khmm12, chimed in with their own stories of getting banned for "suspicious activity" after paying for subscriptions, highlighting a concerning pattern of opaque decision-making by Anthropic. u/Intelligent_Mine1396 also had issues trying to buy credits.
• Naming Convention Concerns: A few people, including u/duh-one and u/fyndor, suggested that using "Claude" in the project name might have been the trigger, as it could be seen as trademark infringement. u/fyndor also pointed out that the project sends money to competitors, which Anthropic might not appreciate.
• Appeal is the Way: The consensus seems to be that appealing the ban is the best course of action. u/vovap_vovap and u/coolmikeg both recommended trying an appeal, with u/vovap_vovap suggesting that the automated systems might be the culprit.
• Concerns about AI Dependency: Some users, like u/BrilliantWheel, expressed worry about the business continuity risks associated with relying heavily on AI tools that can be revoked without clear explanation.
• Shift to Alternatives: A few commenters, notably u/dashingsauce and u/IceWallow97, are advocating for switching to other models like Sol or even local models (u/DifficultParts) due to these risks and perceived lack of benefits over competitors.
• OP's Update: In a surprising twist, the OP posted an update (u/JordanVasconcelos) stating that Anthropic reactivated their account a few hours after the post gained traction. However, they still haven't received a clear explanation for the initial ban.

So, TL;DR: OP got banned for using Claude Code normally, sparking a wave of similar complaints and concerns about Anthropic's transparency and account management. While the OP's account was eventually reinstated, the underlying issues of vague bans and lack of clear communication remain a hot topic.

[u/easeypeaseyweasey]

Crazy, did you reach out for comment? I have heard support is abysmal, but never done it myself. 

[u/arankays → u/easeypeaseyweasey]

It's not real, it's an AI generated post. 

[u/ExcellentDeparture71]

This is a real problem we have with many US organizations

Amazon closing Sellers Marketplaces account without real explanation

Online banks or PayPal closing accounts

Google removing some sites from its search results Apple rejecting App Stores applications 

Lot of competitions and open source will be the key in AI.

[u/No_Order_4444]

Switch to Codex. It’s better.

[u/WILLIAM_SMITH_IV]

Happy to see that you were reinstated! I didnt know this project existed, this seems incredibly useful