TLDR
- Claude, developed by Anthropic, climbed to the top position on Apple’s U.S. App Store following Pentagon designation as a supply-chain security threat
- Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary, initiated action to prevent defense contractors from utilizing Anthropic’s technology
- A Pentagon agreement with OpenAI, announced shortly after Anthropic’s blacklisting, sparked widespread #CancelChatGPT protests
- Free user adoption of Claude expanded by more than 60% from January, with new registrations tripling from November levels
- The Claude app secured top rankings across U.S., Canadian, and German App Stores, while Android’s Google Play has not reflected similar trends
On Saturday, February 28, 2026, Anthropic’s Claude application achieved the number one position on Apple’s U.S. App Store for the first time. This milestone displaced OpenAI’s ChatGPT to second place, while Google’s Gemini fell to fourth.
This dramatic ascent followed an escalating confrontation between Anthropic and U.S. defense officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested that Anthropic receive designation as a national security supply-chain threat. Such classification would effectively prohibit all U.S. defense contractors from utilizing any technology developed by Anthropic.
The controversy began when Anthropic declined to permit its artificial intelligence systems to be deployed for widespread domestic surveillance operations or completely autonomous weapon systems. The organization stated its intention to legally contest the national security designation.
President Trump addressed the situation Friday on Truth Social, declaring that Anthropic committed a “disastrous mistake” by attempting to prioritize its service terms above what he described as constitutional obligations.
Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, issued a response expressing the company’s desire for Pentagon reconsideration, emphasizing the substantial value its technology delivers to military operations.
In the hours immediately following Anthropic’s blacklisting, OpenAI publicly announced a finalized agreement with the Department of Defense for model deployment. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, explained that the arrangement included safeguards against domestic mass surveillance and mandated human supervision for lethal force decisions.
This coincidental timing generated significant public opposition toward OpenAI. The #CancelChatGPT hashtag gained traction throughout social platforms, while CancelChatGPT.com was launched as a dedicated resource to guide users through account deletion.
Katy Perry, the pop music icon, shared an X post featuring Claude’s Pro subscription interface, highlighting the $20 monthly tier with a red heart emoji. Numerous other users publicly displayed their Anthropic payment confirmations alongside ChatGPT account cancellation documentation.
Claude’s Growth Numbers
Anthropic reported free user growth exceeding 60% beginning in January. New daily account registrations have increased threefold since November, with the organization establishing new sign-up records throughout that particular week. Paid subscription numbers more than doubled during 2026.
Prior to February, Claude occupied position 131 on the U.S. App Store as of January 30. Throughout most of February, the app maintained rankings within the top 20 before ultimately securing first place.
Beyond the United States, Claude achieved top positions in both Canadian and German app marketplaces. Switzerland saw Claude reach second position, while Austria maintained ChatGPT at number one. These trends have not materialized on Google Play, where Android device users constitute a more substantial market segment.
Not Everyone Is Switching
User responses varied considerably. Several Reddit community members indicated the Pentagon developments did not influence their AI model preferences. Additional commenters highlighted that Anthropic maintains its own defense-related partnerships.
A November 2024 collaboration between Anthropic, Palantir, and Amazon Web Services provides U.S. intelligence organizations and defense agencies with Claude model access, generating comparable concerns to those leveled at OpenAI.
OpenAI released complete Pentagon contract documentation on Saturday. The terms explicitly forbid AI-controlled autonomous weapons in contexts where human oversight is legally mandated. The agreement additionally prohibits unrestricted surveillance of private data belonging to American citizens.
Former OpenAI personnel established Anthropic in 2021. ChatGPT presently serves more than 900 million users weekly.
