Elon Musk’s xAI Vows Legal Action Against Apple Over App Store Rankings

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, has announced it will take legal action against Apple, accusing the tech giant of antitrust violations in how it manages App Store rankings.

Musk argues that Apple’s practices make it impossible for any AI company other than OpenAI to claim the top spot, a claim he labels “unequivocal.”

According to Musk, ChatGPT holds the No. 1 position in the U.S. App Store’s “Top Free Apps” list for iPhones, while xAI’s Grok sits at fifth, and Google’s Gemini languishes at 57th.

On Google Play, ChatGPT also leads, per Sensor Tower data. Despite these figures, Musk contends Apple’s ranking system unfairly disadvantages competitors.

Musk previously challenged Apple publicly, asking, “Why do you refuse to put either X or Grok in your ‘Must Have’ section when X is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps? Are you playing politics?” He insinuates Apple’s preferential treatment of ChatGPT stems from its partnership with OpenAI.

Apple is already under increased regulatory scrutiny: in April, a U.S. judge found Apple in contempt for failing to allow more App Store competition, sending the case to federal prosecutors.

Meanwhile, the EU fined Apple €500 million ($587 million) for blocking developers from directing users to cheaper offers, breaching the Digital Markets Act.