Key Points
- Claude climbed to No. 1 on the U.S. Apple App Store following the Pentagon’s classification of Anthropic as a national security supply-chain concern
- Pete Hegseth, serving as Defense Secretary, initiated action to prevent U.S. defense contractors from utilizing Anthropic’s technology
- OpenAI announced a Pentagon partnership within hours of Anthropic’s blacklisting, leading to widespread #CancelChatGPT activity
- Free user accounts at Anthropic expanded by more than 60% from January, while daily registrations tripled compared to November
- Claude achieved top rankings in App Store charts across the U.S., Canada, and Germany, while Google Play has yet to reflect this trend
Claude, the AI assistant from Anthropic, claimed the No. 1 position on Apple’s U.S. App Store on Saturday, February 28, 2026. This milestone marked Claude’s inaugural appearance at the top of the chart, displacing OpenAI’s ChatGPT to second place and pushing Google’s Gemini down to fourth.
This ascent followed a public confrontation between Anthropic and the U.S. Department of Defense. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth requested that Anthropic receive a supply-chain risk designation related to national security. Such a classification would prevent U.S. defense contractors from accessing any technology developed by Anthropic.
The conflict emerged after Anthropic declined to permit its AI systems to support mass domestic surveillance operations or weapons systems operating with complete autonomy. Company leadership stated their intention to contest the national security designation through legal channels.
President Trump addressed the matter on Friday through Truth Social, stating that Anthropic had committed a “disastrous mistake” by attempting to enforce its terms of service in what he characterized as opposition to the Constitution.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, issued a response expressing hope that the Pentagon would reassess its position, citing the significant technological capabilities the company provides to military operations.
Within hours of Anthropic receiving the blacklist designation, OpenAI revealed it had finalized an agreement with the Department of Defense for model deployment. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, explained the arrangement incorporated safeguards against domestic mass surveillance and mandated human oversight for force-related decisions.
The sequence of these announcements generated significant opposition to OpenAI. Social media platforms saw rapid spread of the #CancelChatGPT hashtag, while activists established CancelChatGPT.com as a resource for account deletion.
Katy Perry, the pop music star, shared a screenshot on X showing Claude’s Pro subscription interface, featuring a red heart emoji over the $20 monthly plan. Numerous users publicly displayed their Anthropic payment confirmations alongside proof of ChatGPT account cancellations.
User Growth Metrics for Claude
Anthropic reported that free user accounts increased by more than 60% beginning in January. Daily registration numbers reached three times their November levels, with the company setting new sign-up records throughout that week. Paid subscription numbers more than doubled during 2026.
Prior to February, Claude held the No. 131 position on the U.S. App Store as of January 30. The app moved into the top 20 throughout most of February before securing the leading position.
Claude achieved first place in both Canadian and German charts as well. Switzerland saw Claude reach second position, while Austria maintained ChatGPT at the top. Android users on Google Play have yet to generate comparable ranking shifts.
Varied User Responses
User reactions demonstrated considerable diversity. Reddit discussions included users stating that Pentagon developments had minimal impact on their model preferences. Additional commenters highlighted that Anthropic maintains its own connections to military-related partnerships.
Anthropic established a partnership with Palantir and Amazon Web Services during November 2024. This arrangement provides U.S. intelligence and defense agencies with Claude model access, prompting questions parallel to those raised regarding OpenAI.
OpenAI released complete Pentagon contract details on Saturday. The documented agreement prohibits AI systems from independently operating autonomous weapons in situations where human oversight carries legal requirements. The contract also restricts unlimited surveillance activities targeting private information of U.S. citizens.
Former OpenAI team members established Anthropic in 2021. ChatGPT maintains a user base exceeding 900 million weekly active users.
