A biology student's OpenAI account was deactivated for asking how to import beneficial bacteria through USDA channels, and appeal didn't help
r/OpenAI (plus r/ClaudeAI)·low signal
The r/OpenAI post (508 upvotes) says the account was flagged for "Prohibited Biological Use" and the ban was upheld even after the student submitted institutional documentation. Commenters pointed to OpenAI's Trusted Access program for dual-use biology. On r/ClaudeAI, users report that Claude's pause messages now name a reason such as "reasoning_extraction" or "bio", and one says two Opus 5 agents disagreed about whether the same harmless cipher message was a bio risk.