JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) are widely used for secure data transmission, with the "aud" (audience) claim playing a critical role in specifying the intended recipient of a token, thus ensuring it is processed only by the designated service or API. However, developers often misuse the "aud" claim for roles or permissions, which violates JWT standards and can lead to security vulnerabilities, failed token validation, and increased system complexity. Instead of overloading the "aud" claim, best practices suggest using dedicated claims like "roles" or "scope" for role-based access control, thereby maintaining clarity, scalability, and maintainability in system architecture. By adhering to JWT specifications and educating development teams about the correct use of claims, developers can build secure, reliable, and future-proof systems.