Anthropic, an AI company, was caught secretly tracking users of its Claude Code in China using hidden code. A security researcher exposed the tracker, which was sending user information to Anthropic without detection. The company claims it was an experiment to prevent account abuse and protect against distillation attacks, but has since removed the tracker. This incident raises concerns about user trust and surveillance, especially given Anthropic’s history of refusing to allow government surveillance. Why it matters: this breach of trust could have significant implications for the future of AI development and user privacy, as companies balance security with transparency and ethics.