Elon Musk threatens legal action against Apple over alleged App Store bias favoring OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Claims X and Grok are excluded from “Must Have” section despite strong chart rankings
Dispute follows Apple’s deepening integration of ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence
Regulators may scrutinize any xAI complaint for potential antitrust violations in App Store curation
Elon Musk on Monday threatened legal action against Apple, accusing the iPhone maker of antitrust violations for allegedly structuring App Store rankings in a way that makes it impossible for rivals to reach the top spot, a claim aimed squarely at Apple’s apparent preference for OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Musk, who owns X (formerly Twitter) and AI start-up xAI, maker of the Grok chatbot, posted on X that Apple refuses to list X or Grok in the App Store’s “Must Have” section despite X’s status as a top news app and Grok’s recent climb in the charts.
He said the treatment amounts to “an unequivocal antitrust violation” and that xAI would take “immediate legal action.” Reuters and AP reported the posts and Musk’s threat.
Industry trackers show OpenAI’s ChatGPT leading US App Store “Top Free” charts while xAI’s Grok sits among the top free apps, a positioning Musk argues is still being downplayed in Apple’s editorial placements.
Apple’s OpenAI Tie-Up & Regulatory Scrutiny
The spat comes after Apple announced broader integrations with OpenAI, embedding ChatGPT access into Apple Intelligence across iPhone, iPad and Mac, a move that has tightened practical ties between Apple and OpenAI and that Musk says creates a conflict for fairness in platform curation. Apple and OpenAI have previously confirmed their integration plans.
Musk’s complaint arrives amid a wider, public legal feud between him and OpenAI: he has previously sued OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of abandoning the company’s founding mission and seeking courtroom remedies. That parallel fight adds heat to Musk’s allegation that platform operators and entrenched players can skew competitive outcomes in AI.
Why Regulators will Watch?
Apple has faced antitrust scrutiny and enforcement actions globally over App Store rules in recent years, and regulators will likely monitor any formal complaint from xAI closely.
If xAI files suit, investigators and courts would examine whether Apple’s editorial placements and discovery features amount to unlawful discrimination against rival apps.
Musk’s posts did not include a public filing at the time of reporting. If xAI proceeds, the company would have to set out specific legal claims and evidence showing how Apple’s store curation caused competitive harm, a process that could spur another round of litigation or regulatory inquiries into App Store policies.
