Elon Musk's assertions about the App Store monopoly confronted by Apple
Elon Musk, the CEO of xAI, has announced his intention to file an antitrust lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the tech giant is unfairly favoring OpenAI's ChatGPT app in the App Store[1][2][3]. According to Musk, this preferential treatment is preventing his own AI apps, X and Grok, from securing top positions in the App Store's rankings[1][3].
In a statement, Apple has denied these accusations, insisting that the App Store is designed to be "fair and free of bias"[3][4]. The dispute comes amidst a broader context of antitrust scrutiny faced by Apple from regulators and previous legal findings, including a judge ruling that Apple violated a court injunction in a separate antitrust case[1].
The allegations stem from the observation that OpenAI's ChatGPT app has consistently ranked high in the App Store's top charts, while xAI's Grok app has not achieved similar success[1][3]. Musk claims that this behavior constitutes an "unequivocal antitrust violation" and makes it impossible for AI companies other than OpenAI to secure top spots on the App Store[1][3].
It is worth noting that Apple and OpenAI have had a partnership since 2024[6]. The specific details of the lawsuit, including the alleged bias and the evidence to support the claim, have not been disclosed[1][2]. As of August 2025, the lawsuit remains a planned legal action rather than a completed, filed lawsuit with further details publicly available[1][2].
The aim of the App Store's practices is to ensure safe discovery for users and opportunities for developers[5]. However, Musk's claims have sparked a debate about the fairness of these practices and the potential for bias in the App Store's ranking system.
The feud between Musk and Apple, if it continues to escalate, could lead to a formal complaint being filed. It is unclear at this time whether Musk's lawsuit against Apple will move forward[1][2].
References:
- The Verge
- TechCrunch
- Bloomberg
- Apple's statement to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman
- Apple's App Store guidelines
- TechRadar
