On Monday, billionaire Elon Musk announced that his artificial intelligence company, xAI, intends to initiate legal proceedings against Apple. Musk accuses the tech giant of violating antitrust laws related to its management of App Store rankings.
“Apple’s conduct effectively hampers any AI firm other than OpenAI from achieving the top position in the App Store, which constitutes a clear breach of antitrust regulations. xAI will pursue immediate legal recourse,” Musk stated in a message on his social media platform, X.
Musk’s claims were made without presenting any supporting evidence. Requests for comment from Apple, OpenAI, and xAI were not met with immediate responses from Reuters.
Currently, ChatGPT holds the number one position in the “Top Free Apps” category on the App Store for iPhones in the United States. xAI’s Grok is positioned fifth, while Google’s Gemini chatbot ranks 57th.
ChatGPT also leads the Google Play Store rankings, according to data from Sensor Tower.
Notably, Apple maintains a partnership with OpenAI, incorporating ChatGPT into its iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
Earlier on Monday, Musk questioned Apple’s App Store management, saying, “Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to feature either X or Grok in your ‘Must Have’ section when X is the #1 news app globally and Grok ranks #5 among all apps? Are you playing politics?”
Musk’s remarks coincide with increasing regulatory and competitive scrutiny focused on Apple’s control over its App Store.
A US judge ruled in April that Apple had violated a prior court order that aimed to enhance competition within its App Store. This ruling has led to a referral of the company to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation stemming from a case initiated by Epic Games, the creator of ‘Fortnite.’
Additionally, Apple’s operations faced scrutiny in Europe, where the EU antitrust authorities imposed a EUR 500 million ($587 million) fine in April. This action cited Apple for implementing technical and commercial restrictions that obstructed app developers from guiding users towards cheaper alternatives outside of the App Store, in violation of the Digital Markets Act.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
