Hidden Code in Claude Code Identified Chinese Users and Flagged Them Separately Without Disclosure

Engineers embedded code in Claude that identified Chinese users and flagged them separately. The code was not documented. The documentation did not mention flags. Someone found the code. A spokesperson confirmed it existed. The spokesperson did not explain why.

Geofencing and user segmentation happen routinely in tech infrastructure. This was unusual only in that it was hidden, discovered, and then partially acknowledged. Confirmation without explanation is a standard response when the response itself is the problem.

The code may have been deactivated. It may still run. Adequate notes that documentation and behavior diverging is not a system error. It is a choice that persists until documented otherwise. No timeline for documentation has been provided.