Elon Musk has announced that his AI venture, xAI, intends to pursue legal action against Apple, alleging that the tech giant is violating antitrust laws through its management of App Store rankings.
In a post on his social media platform X, Musk said: “Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 in the App Store, which is an unequivocal antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action.”
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Musk did not provide any supporting evidence for his allegations, according to Reuters, and as of 12 August 2025, Apple, OpenAI, and xAI have not responded to requests for comments from Reuters.
Currently, ChatGPT occupies the top position in the “Top Free Apps” category on the App Store for iPhones in the US, while xAI’s Grok is ranked fifth, and Google’s Gemini chatbot is positioned at 57th.
Additionally, ChatGPT is also leading the rankings on the Google Play Store, as reported by Sensor Tower.
Apple has an existing partnership with OpenAI that incorporates ChatGPT into its devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
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By GlobalDataMusk previously questioned Apple’s decisions regarding app placements, asking, “Hey @Apple App Store, 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?”
Musk’s remarks come amid increasing scrutiny from regulators and competitors regarding Apple’s control over its App Store.
In April 2025, a US judge determined that Apple had breached a court order that mandated increased competition within its App Store and referred the matter to federal prosecutors for a potential criminal contempt investigation, stemming from a case initiated by Epic Games, the creator of ‘Fortnite.’
In addition, in April, the EU antitrust authority imposed a fine of €500m ($587m) on Apple, citing that its technical and commercial restrictions hindered app developers from directing users to more affordable options outside the App Store, in violation of the Digital Markets Act.
