Claude Code sends your email address to websites (github.com)

Article summary

Claude Code, a product of Anthropics, has been found to send users' email addresses to websites in the User-Agent request header, potentially violating users' privacy and leading to scam emails. This issue has been reported by multiple users, who are concerned about the lack of control over their personal data. The company's decision to include email addresses in the User-Agent header has been criticized as a poor design choice. Users are considering switching to alternative services due to this issue.

Main themes

• Privacy violation
• User-Agent header
• Claude Code controversy
• Alternative services
• AI software factory
• Scam emails

What commenters say

• The inclusion of email addresses in the User-Agent header is a blatant privacy violation that puts users at risk of scam emails.
• This design choice is asinine and provides no benefits to users while giving immense value to scrapers and scammers.
• The issue may be a result of an automated decision rather than a human choice, highlighting the potential pitfalls of relying on AI-driven development.
• Some users have not experienced any issues with spam emails despite using Claude Code, suggesting that the problem may not be universal.
• The controversy surrounding Claude Code is a reason to prefer alternative services that prioritize user privacy and control.
• The decision to include email addresses in the User-Agent header is a mistake that can be easily fixed by updating the AGENTS.md file.
• The use of unique email addresses or custom domains may mitigate the risk of spam emails, but does not address the underlying privacy concern.
• The incident highlights the importance of careful design and consideration of user privacy in AI-driven software development.