Key Takeaways
- Claude surged to the top position on Apple’s U.S. App Store following Pentagon’s designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain security concern
- Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary, initiated measures to prevent defense contractors from utilizing Anthropic’s AI tools
- A Pentagon partnership with OpenAI was announced immediately after Anthropic’s blacklisting, igniting widespread #CancelChatGPT protests
- Since January, Anthropic has witnessed more than 60% growth in free-tier users, with daily registrations tripling from November levels
- Claude secured top App Store rankings across the United States, Canada, and Germany, while Google Play has yet to reflect similar momentum
On Saturday, February 28, 2026, Anthropic’s Claude application claimed the number one position on Apple’s U.S. App Store. This milestone marked Claude’s inaugural chart-topping achievement, relegating OpenAI’s ChatGPT to second place and pushing Google’s Gemini down to fourth.
This dramatic ascent followed heightened tensions between Anthropic and the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally requested that Anthropic receive a national security supply-chain risk designation. Such a classification would effectively prohibit all U.S. defense contractors from implementing Anthropic’s technology in their operations.
The controversy erupted when Anthropic declined to permit its AI systems for mass domestic surveillance operations or fully autonomous weapon deployment. The company announced plans to legally contest the national security designation.
President Trump entered the debate Friday on Truth Social, declaring that Anthropic committed a “disastrous mistake” by attempting to enforce its service terms above what he described as constitutional authority.
Dario Amodei, Anthropic’s CEO, issued a response expressing hope that the Pentagon would reassess its position, emphasizing the significant technological value his company delivers to military operations.
Moments after Anthropic’s blacklisting became official, OpenAI revealed a newly finalized agreement with the Department of Defense for model deployment. Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, specified that the contract incorporates safeguards against domestic mass surveillance and mandates human authorization for force-related decisions.
The sequence of events sparked immediate controversy surrounding OpenAI. Social media platforms saw #CancelChatGPT trend rapidly, while activists established CancelChatGPT.com to streamline account deletion procedures.
Katy Perry, the internationally recognized pop artist, shared a screenshot on X featuring Claude’s Pro subscription interface, highlighting the $20 monthly tier with a red heart emoji. Numerous users followed suit, posting their Anthropic payment confirmations next to ChatGPT account cancellation confirmations.
Anthropic’s User Base Expansion
Anthropic reported that its free-tier user base expanded by more than 60% from January onward. Daily registration numbers have seen a threefold increase compared to November, with the company setting new sign-up records throughout that particular week. The paid subscriber count more than doubled during 2026.
Prior to February, Claude held position No. 131 in the U.S. App Store as of January 30. Throughout most of February, it maintained a presence within the top 20 before ultimately reaching the summit.
Claude achieved first-place rankings in both Canada and Germany as well. In Switzerland, it secured second position, while Austria continued to see ChatGPT maintain its leading status. Google Play has not yet displayed comparable surge patterns, despite Android users comprising a substantial market segment.
The Switch Isn’t Universal
User reactions have been mixed. Several Reddit community members indicated that Pentagon-related developments had no bearing on their AI model preferences. Others highlighted that Anthropic maintains its own defense-related collaborations.
Anthropic established a partnership with Palantir and Amazon Web Services during November 2024. This arrangement provides U.S. intelligence organizations and defense agencies with Claude model access, generating concerns analogous to those raised regarding OpenAI.
OpenAI made its complete Pentagon contract provisions public on Saturday. The framework explicitly forbids AI from autonomously operating weapons systems in scenarios where human supervision is mandated by law. It additionally prohibits unrestricted surveillance targeting private data of American citizens.
Anthropic was established in 2021 by former OpenAI team members. ChatGPT presently serves more than 900 million weekly active users.
