ChatGPT Uninstalls Surge Amidst Deal With US Department of War

OpenAI's partnership with the Department of War sparked a sharp backlash from users, as evidenced by Sensor Tower data. ChatGPT's US uninstalls surged 295% day-over-day on February 28, 2026, and continued climbing, while its average uninstall rate over the previous 30 days was only 9% daily. Daily active users (DAUs) dropped 13% on Feb 28 and 5% on Mar 1, with a 16% decline in website visits.

In contrast, Claude, which publicly declined a Pentagon partnership, saw US downloads jump 37% and 51% on Feb 27-28, respectively, and reached the #1 spot on the Apple App Store. Claude's DAUs climbed 12% on Feb 27, and in-app subscription revenue rose 28% and 25% on Feb 27-28. While Claude's audience is 60x smaller than ChatGPT's, the data indicates significant user migration and sentiment shift.

The backlash is also reflected in ChatGPT's App Store ratings: 1-star reviews surged 775% on Feb 28, while 5-star reviews fell 50%. By March 2, ChatGPT received over 5,000 1-star reviews, a 480% daily increase. Google Gemini, though not involved in the controversy, saw a 9% daily download increase during the same period.

For adtech decision-makers, these insights suggest that brand perception directly impacts user acquisition and retention. Ad inventory on ChatGPT may see reduced engagement, while Claude presents a growing but smaller audience opportunity. Advertisers should monitor sentiment trends and consider shifting budgets to platforms with positive public perception.