Claude rises to number one on the App Store charts as users support Anthropic's fight against the government

Anthropic's 'Claude' app has reportedly topped the download charts on the US App Store. It's speculated that this may be a result of users supporting Anthropic's stance following reports that the company has had a dispute with the US Department of Defense.

Anthropic's Claude hits No. 1 on Apple's top free apps list
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/28/anthropics-claude-apple-apps.html

Claude hits #1 on the App Store as users rally behind Anthropic's government standoff - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2026/03/01/claude-hits-1-on-the-app-store-as-users-rally-behind-anthropics-government-standoff/

Anthropic had a contract with the Department of Defense to provide custom models of Claude to the Pentagon and various intelligence agencies, but the Pentagon pressured Anthropic to remove the safeguards it had put in place, and CEO Dario Amodei flatly refused, stating that he would not allow Claude to be used for 'large-scale domestic surveillance' or 'fully autonomous weapons.'

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei rejects Pentagon request over AI security issues - GIGAZINE

by Fortune Brainstorm Tech

In response to this, US President Donald Trump posted a statement condemning Anthropic on his social media account 'Truth Social' on Friday, February 28, 2026, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that he would designate the company as a supply chain risk.

President Trump claims that Anthropic's left-wing fanatics have attempted to control the U.S. military, and orders the severance of ties. Secretary of Defense Hegseth will designate Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk' - GIGAZINE

According to CNBC, Anthropic's Claude app was ranked 131st in downloads in the US App Store as of January 2026, and only made it into the top 20 in February. However, as of press time, it has risen to the top of downloads. The second-place app is OpenAI's ChatGPT, and the third-place app is Google's Gemini.

An Anthropic spokesperson told CNBC, 'Anthropic's free user base has grown by more than 60% since January 2026. Additionally, the number of new daily sign-ups has tripled since November 2025, reaching a new record high as of the end of February 2026.'

9to5Mac said, 'Anthropic's rise to the top of the download charts isn't down to any new features or capabilities. Rather, it seems that the week-long dispute between Anthropic and the US government has propelled Claude to the top of the App Store.' This suggests that users may have supported Anthropic.