ChatGPT Uninstalls Surge 295% Following Controversial Department of Defense Partnership

Summary

OpenAI faced significant user backlash after announcing a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, now rebranded as the Department of War under the Trump administration. According to market intelligence provider Sensor Tower, U.S. mobile app uninstalls of ChatGPT jumped 295% day-over-day on February 28, 2026, compared to a typical 9% uninstall rate over the previous 30 days. The dramatic response represents one of the most significant user reactions to a corporate partnership decision in the AI industry's recent history.

The controversy intensified as competitor Anthropic publicly announced it would not partner with the DoD, citing concerns over AI being used for surveillance of Americans and deployment in fully autonomous weaponry before the technology is safe enough for such applications. Following Anthropic's stance, downloads of its Claude app surged 37% on February 27 and 51% on February 28, while ChatGPT's U.S. downloads fell 13% on Saturday and continued declining 5% on Sunday. Claude subsequently reached the No. 1 position on the U.S. App Store by Saturday, climbing over 20 ranks from the previous week.

User sentiment reflected in app store ratings showed the depth of opposition to OpenAI's decision. One-star reviews for ChatGPT surged 775% on Saturday and continued growing 100% day-over-day on Sunday, while five-star reviews dropped 50% during the same period. Multiple market intelligence providers, including Appfigures and Similarweb, confirmed the trend, with Appfigures noting that Claude's daily U.S. downloads surpassed ChatGPT's for the first time on Saturday. Claude also became the No. 1 free iPhone app in six countries outside the U.S., including Canada, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland.

The incident highlights growing consumer concerns about AI ethics and corporate partnerships with military and defense organizations. The swift and substantial user migration from ChatGPT to Claude demonstrates that AI users are willing to switch platforms based on perceived ethical considerations, marking a potentially significant shift in how AI companies must consider public sentiment when pursuing government contracts.

• Claude's daily U.S. downloads surpassed ChatGPT's for the first time, and the app became No. 1 in six countries outside the U.S.
• The incident demonstrates that AI users are willing to switch platforms based on ethical considerations regarding government and military partnerships