ChatGPT App Uninstalls Surge Amid Controversy Over DoD Partnership
Recently, U.S. app uninstalls of ChatGPT’s mobile app saw a drastic increase of 295% day-over-day on Saturday, February 28. This surge in uninstalls was a direct response to the news of OpenAI’s deal with the Department of Defense (DoD), now known as the Department of War under the Trump administration.
This data, sourced from market intelligence provider Sensor Tower, highlights a significant spike compared to ChatGPT’s usual day-over-day uninstall rate of 9% over the past month.
On the contrary, OpenAI competitor Anthropic’s Claude witnessed a boost in U.S. downloads, with a 37% increase on Friday, February 27, followed by a 51% rise on Saturday, February 28. Anthropic’s decision not to partner with the defense department due to concerns about potential misuse of AI resonated with a segment of consumers, as indicated by the data.
As a result of the controversy surrounding the DoD partnership, ChatGPT experienced a decline in U.S. downloads, dropping by 13% day-over-day on Saturday and further decreasing by 5% on Sunday. In contrast, Claude’s popularity soared, securing the top spot on the U.S. App Store rankings and maintaining its position through Monday, March 2.
Consumer sentiment was reflected in the app ratings, with 1-star reviews for ChatGPT spiking by 775% on Saturday and growing by 100% on Sunday. Conversely, five-star reviews dwindled by 50% during the same period.
Third-party data providers like Appfigures supported Sensor Tower’s findings, noting that Claude’s daily U.S. downloads surpassed ChatGPT’s for the first time. Appfigures estimated an 88% day-over-day increase in Claude’s U.S. downloads on Saturday.
Claude also claimed the top spot as the No. 1 free iPhone app in multiple countries, including the U.S., Belgium, Canada, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway, and Switzerland.
Further insights from Similarweb suggested that Claude’s U.S. downloads in the past week were significantly higher compared to January, although the increase may have been influenced by factors beyond the political controversy.
