An 'Antitrust Violation': Musk Lashes Out at Apple & OpenAI
Elon Musk has accused Apple of anti-competitive behaviour, claiming that the iPhone maker has deliberately suppressed his Grok AI chatbot while promoting OpenAI's ChatGPT in its App Store rankings.
The Tesla and xAI CEO called Apple's App Store practices an "unequivocal antitrust violation" in a post on his social media platform X on Monday night.
Musk also threatened "immediate legal action" against the tech giant. "Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store," he said.
As the marketplace where users go to discover new apps for all Apple devices, the App Store's rankings play a pivotal role for app developers that are trying to attract new users.
For its rankings, Apple says it considers factors including usability, positive ratings and reviews, though the company provides limited transparency about its selection criteria.
Apple has already responded to Musk's claims, defending the impartiality of the platform.
"We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria," a company spokesperson said this week.
"Our goal is to offer safe discovery for users and valuable opportunities for developers, collaborating with many to increase app visibility in rapidly evolving categories."
Is there any evidence of preferential treatment?
Musk's frustration appears to be rooted in some observable disparities between the visibility of ChatGPT and Grok on the App Store.
On Tuesday morning, Apple prominently featured ChatGPT at the top of its 'Apps' section, promoting OpenAI's new GPT-5 model.
Apple also included the new version of ChatGPT in its 'Must-Have Apps' list and ranked it second in its 'Popular Apps' section.
In contrast, Grok appears only on the 'Top Free Apps' list at number five, a category in which ChatGPT holds the top position.
Musk, frustrated by this discrepancy, posted: "Why are the Grok and the X app excluded from every list, except those measuring raw downloads, but ChatGPT is on every list? This is messed up!"
Musk vs. Altman: The long-running feud intensifies
These accusations represent the latest escalation in Elon Musk's protracted dispute with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman, with whom the xAI CEO previously worked closely.
Musk helped establish OpenAI in 2015 but his relationship with the organisation – and Altman himself – deteriorated as it pursued commercial opportunities.
He has since sued the ChatGPT maker multiple times, alleging that the firm has abandoned its founding principles by becoming a for-profit entity.
OpenAI has consistently disputed these claims, suggesting Musk's motivations stem from the competitive rivalry the two firms share.
Altman has responded to these latest accusations on X.
"This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn't like," the OpenAI CEO wrote.
Apple's antitrust allegations
Musk's complaints come at a time when Apple's App Store practices are already the subject of some scrutiny.
Last year the Justice Department filed a landmark antitrust lawsuit against Apple, in which the company stood accused of monopolising the smartphone market.
App Store policies featured prominently in these allegations, with regulators claiming they create barriers to entry and stifle innovation.
Other developers have successfully challenged Apple's practices, with a California judge ruling earlier this year that the company must permit app sales directly from developers' websites.
International regulations also threaten to reduce Apple's ability to charge substantial fees to app developers.
Whether Musk will follow through on his legal threats remains uncertain, given his history of making similar proclamations without subsequent action. Though with Apple already under pressure, the xAI CEO may feel compelled to throw his weight behind the movement.
