ChatGPT Uninstalls Surge 295% Following DoD Deal

On Saturday, February 28, uninstallations of the ChatGPT mobile app in the United States surged by 295% compared to the previous week, indicating a severe consumer backlash. This reaction follows news of OpenAI's partnership with the Department of Defense (DoD), which was redesignated as the Department of War during the Trump administration.

Market intelligence firm Sensor Tower provided these figures, highlighting that the spike is particularly notable against the typical daily uninstall rate of 9% observed over the preceding 30 days.

In contrast, downloads for Claude, the rival AI app from Anthropic, increased by 37% on Friday, February 27, and rose another 51% on Saturday. This growth coincides with Anthropic's announcement that it would not collaborate with the US DoD. The company explained that it could not agree to terms due to concerns over AI being used for surveillance of Americans and in fully autonomous weapons systems, stating the technology is not yet safe for such tasks.

Data suggests that consumers are favoring Anthropic's ethical stance on this matter.

Furthermore, ChatGPT's download performance was negatively impacted by the DoD collaboration news. US downloads fell by 13% on Saturday and continued to drop by 5% on Sunday. This decline contrasts with a 14% increase recorded on Friday prior to the announcement.

These rapid shifts were reflected in App Store rankings, with Claude climbing to the number one spot in the US on Saturday. The app maintained this position through Monday, March 2, representing a jump of over 20 ranks compared to its standing on February 22, 2026.

Consumer sentiment was also evident in app reviews. Sensor Tower reported that 1-star ratings for ChatGPT skyrocketed by 775% on Saturday, followed by a 100% increase on Sunday. Meanwhile, 5-star ratings declined by 50% during the same period.

Other third-party data providers have corroborated Sensor Tower's findings.

For instance, Appfigures noted that Claude's total daily downloads in the US surpassed ChatGPT for the first time on Saturday. They observed an increase in Claude's US downloads with even higher estimates, citing an 88% week-over-week growth.

The data indicates that Claude is now ranked as the number one free iPhone app in six countries outside the US, including Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, and Switzerland.

Similarweb, another market intelligence provider, reported that Claude's US downloads over the past week were approximately 20 times higher than in January. However, they cautioned that factors beyond political issues might contribute to this surge.