Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and founder of xAI, has announced plans for “immediate legal action” against Apple on grounds of antitrust violations related to its App Store rankings. On August 11, 2025, Musk voiced his allegations through a series of posts on his social platform X, claiming Apple’s practices make it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store.” He pointed out that while OpenAI’s ChatGPT holds the top spot in the “Top Free Apps” category, xAI’s Grok ranks at fifth, suggesting editorial bias in Apple’s selections and questioning whether Apple is engaging in political maneuvering.
Musk’s frustration centers on Apple’s perceived favoring of OpenAI, especially after Apple’s partnership with the company, which deeply integrated ChatGPT into iOS devices starting in June 2024. Musk accused Apple of stifling competition by consistently promoting OpenAI over newer AI apps and explicitly questioned why neither his Grok AI chatbot nor X, the world’s top news app, were featured in Apple’s “Must-Have” section. He implied that these curation choices undermine market competition and could constitute a clear breach of antitrust law.
Despite the public accusations, Musk has yet to provide concrete evidence of Apple’s wrongdoing. So far, Apple has not issued a comment in response to the allegations or legal threats. The dispute comes at a time when Apple faces increasing scrutiny from regulators and courts over its App Store dominance; recent U.S. court and EU regulatory decisions have cited the company for anticompetitive behavior, levying millions in fines and compelling Apple to enable greater competition within its marketplace.
As this tension unfolds, the tech world and regulatory authorities are watching closely. Musk’s aggressive legal stance, if followed through, could add to the growing number of antitrust challenges facing major platforms, spotlighting ongoing debates about fairness, exclusivity, and consumer choice in the global app ecosystem.
Source: CNBC, Musk threatens immediate legal action against Apple over alleged antitrust violations.
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