Claude Code downloads ~100MB from GCS on every startup with no way to disable

Describe the bug

Every time Claude Code starts, it silently downloads approximately 100MB from storage.googleapis.com via its built-in auto-update mechanism. There is no user-facing configuration to disable, defer, or control this behavior. The download happens even when the installed version is already up to date.

Evidence

The following URL is hardcoded in claude.exe (v2.1.92):

https://storage.googleapis.com/claude-code-dist-86c565f3-f756-42ad-8dfa-d59b1c096819/claude-code-releases

Network traffic captured via Clash Verge TUN proxy logs confirms repeated connections:

[TCP] 198.18.0.1:54688 --> storage.googleapis.com:443 (download: ~100MB per session)
[TCP] 198.18.0.1:64490 --> storage.googleapis.com:443 (retry on failure)

The connection originates from claude.exe itself (PID verified via netstat -ano), not from any plugin or MCP subprocess.

Impact

• ~100MB downloaded on every launch, even on metered/mobile connections
• No user notification that a large download is in progress
• No settings.json option to disable auto-updates (only autoUpdatesChannel exists, but no autoUpdatesEnabled: false equivalent)
• Users on limited bandwidth (mobile hotspot, pay-per-GB plans) are significantly affected

Expected behavior

• Auto-update should cache the downloaded package and not re-download if the version hasn't changed
• A settings.json option (e.g., "autoUpdatesEnabled": false) should allow users to opt out
• At minimum, users should be informed that a background download is happening

Environment

• Claude Code version: 2.1.92
• OS: Windows 11 Home (10.0.26100)
• Installation: C:\Users\<user>\.local\bin\claude.exe (standalone binary)