Billionaire Elon Musk reported that his xAI Legal Action Apple App Store Rankings which he says is guilty of anti-competitive practices in its App Store rankings. Musk reported that “Apple is doing what it can to see that any AI company aside from OpenAI does not come out on top in the App Store” which he put forth as a clear antitrust violation. Also he did not present any proof to back this up and Apple has thus far remained silent.
In a second post Musk noted that his social media app X is the “number one news app in the world” and Grok (xAI’s chatbot) is in the top five in the App Store which also are not featured in Apple’s promotional sections.
Musk’s Accusations Against Apple
xAI Legal Action Apple App Store Rankings Why do you not include either X or Grok in your ‘Must Have’ section when X is the #1 news app and Grok is #5 among all apps? Are you playing politics?
According to data from Sensor Tower reported by Reuters and other sources Apple’s ChatGPT app (from OpenAI) at this time is #1 in the U.S. iPhone App Store’s Top Free Apps category and Grok is a5. Also on Google’s Play Store ChatG which is Grok’s version does very well and ChatGPT does best. Musk puts forth that this is a sign of Apple’s bias.
Apple’s announcement of a 2024 partnership between Apple and OpenAI to put ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads and Macs which gives OpenAI’s chatbot unprecedented presence on the platform. He puts forth that this close relationship is what is making it so that rivals like Grok can never get to the top of Apple’s App Store charts.
Regulatory Context and Scrutiny
For what it’s worth Apple has gone through great regulatory scrutiny regarding its App Store monopoly. In April 2025 a U.S. judge ruled that Apple broke a court order which was put in for more App Store competition (in the case of Epic Games) and also sent Apple to federal prosecutors for criminal contempt. Also that month EU antitrust regulators fine Apple €500 million for App Store practices which broke the Digital Markets Act. Musk’s legal threat is in the midst of this anti trust environment.
As reported by Gizmodo Musk is rehashing old App Store monopoly issues for the AI age which he is using to put forward new legal issues related to Apple’s editorial control of app rankings.
U.S. Scrutiny
In 2025 April a judge determined that Apple broke an order which put out the welcome mat for more App Store competition (Epic Games suit) also at which point they took the issue to federal prosecutors.
EU Action
The European Commission which went after Apple doled out a $650 million fine for the company’s unfair App Store practices which are in violation of the Digital Markets Act.
Partnership Spotlight
In June 2024 Apple introduced a ChatGPT integration which put OpenAI at a special advantage on Apple devices which in turn prompted Musk to bring up issues of favoritism.
Musk and Altman’s History
Musk co founded OpenAI which he left in 2018 and since then has been at odds with Altman over AI strategy.
Musk’s posts on Apple were very popular on X and Altman’s reply turned into a trending meme.
How App Store Rankings Work
Technically Apple doesn’t just fix app rankings by hand; they are based on algorithms which determine from downloads and engagement.
Also we see that X (which used to be Twitter) did in fact go to #1 in the news apps chart by getting their app classified as “news” which it is not really a news platform at all.
Also Grok which is a very popular AI chatbot (it does very well in the “productivity” charts) has had some issues also. Still Musk reports that Apple’s editorial decisions which put out the “Try Now” widget for ChatGPT on the home page of the App Store is a form of competition which is against the rules.
Apple’s defenders say Musk is using his power to push the company around which in turn Musk says the issue is not a big deal and in fact is required to level the AI playing field.
Musk’s Claims in Detail
That Apple’s tie up with OpenAI (which put ChatGPT into the iOS apps) gives OpenAI an unfair advantage and that Apple’s App Store “curated” to push Grok and X down. He puts forth that these actions may break U.S. and EU antitrust laws which prohibit favoring one AI company (OpenAI) over others.
The evidence he presents is largely of his own tracking which notes ChatGPT at #1, Grok at #5 and competitors like Google’s Gemini way back. To Musk the only explanation is that Apple is playing favorite with ChatGPT in it’s platform design and promotion.
AI Showdown: ChatGPT and Grok in the App Store
According to reports which app at present is at the top of Apple’s App Store “Free” chart is ChatGPT which also includes the xAI chatbot Grok in 5th place.
Grok which put out in the late 2023 positioned itself as a more radical option in comparison to what is out in the main market and very quickly gained a large audience. It’s high rank speaks to large user base. Musk puts forth that despite this success Apple’s human curated sections leave out Grok and X completely which he presents as a case of bias.
While it is true that ChatGPT does get a large “Try Now” promotion on the front page which Apple puts out, Grok is left out of similar features. Also reported is that Apple’s “Must Have” lists which they put out themselves include apps like TikTok and YouTube but not Grok or X.
What Musk’s critics put forth is that the rankings are a result of algorithms and also bring up the fact that X did achieve #1 in news by what they term as gaming the system which they say in turn weakens his bias argument.
Regulatory Scrutiny Amplified
Musk’s action is the latest in a series of incidents which have Apple’s App Store policies under the microscope. As reported, U.S. and EU authorities have been in the process of penalizing Apple for what they see as App Store monopoly issues.
Also separate from this is the issue of legislation which has put forward by some lawmakers which would require Apple to include alternative app stores in their platform or support sideloading.
Industry experts say Musk may be that Apple will use these issues to push for change or maybe even to prompt an antitrust investigation. Apple to it all though, is still putting out that its App Store policies are actually a fair play for security and privacy reasons. At present no suit has been made public.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why did xAI decide to take legal action against Apple?
Musk reports that Apple’s App Store ranking system is biased in favor of OpenAI’s ChatGPT. He says that Apple’s editorial and which promotional choices they make are what put other AI apps (like xAI’s Grok) out of the running to reach #1 in the App Store. xAI intent to take Apple to court on anti competitive grounds, although at this time no legal action has been made public.
Q: What did Musk say that Apple did?
Musk reported that Apple has been acting in a way which precludes any AI company except OpenAI from achieving #1 spot in the App Store. He brought up Apple’s agreement with OpenAI (which includes ChatGPT for iPhones) and also that although X and Grok have high download rates Apple’s home page and “Must Have” lists do not feature them.
Q: What is Grok’s present ranking on the App Store in comparison to ChatGPT?
As of mid-2025 OpenAI’s ChatGPT app is at the top of the free apps in Apple’s iPhone App Store which is where Grok places at 5. Also at 57 we see that which is where Gemini from Google ranks. These results (tracked by Sensor Tower) are what Musk is putting forth.
Q: What did CEO Sam Altman have to say?
Sam Altman got into it on X, he called out Musk’s integrity. He put forth that which Musk said is remarkable in light of the fact that it is brought up that which Musk manipulates X for personal gain and that of his companies. Also reported was that which Altman put forth that Musk had changed X’s algorithm to push his own content and that Musk has a issue with putting forward himself.
Q: Has Apple given a response to these charges?
Not at present. In past issues Apple has tended to put forth the App Store’s case as fair. To date Apple’s press representatives have not reported on Musk’s latest claims. It is noted by analysts that in a lawsuit which is brought forward Apple will put forth that the app rankings are a algorithmic process and that ChatGPT’s rank is a result of real user demand.
Q: What issues has Apple had with the App Store?
Apple is at the moment very much in the crosshairs of regulators. In April 2025 a U.S. court determined Apple in contempt for what it failed to do which is open its store enough (Epic Games v. Apple). Also in the EU Apple was fined €500 million for issues related to competition rules which play out in the App Store. These incidents may be separate but they do indicate a larger trend of increased Apple’s control issue which regulators are paying attention to.
Q: What do we know of xAI’s Grok and what is the connection to this issue?
Grok is a chatbot which was put out by Musk’s AI company xAI. In late 2023 it went live and also has a home in Musk’s social platform X (which used to be Twitter). Musk sees Grok as a rival to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. In the App Store at present Grok is at #5 in the free apps chart but Musk reports that Apple will not put it in the “must have” category which in turn is used by him to present issues of unfair bias.
Q: Is this one to go to anti trust court?
Possibly. Musk reports that xAI will put forward a legal case right away which means a suit is very soon to come. For xAI to win an antitrust case they would have to present that Apple’s actions hurt competition which may include that Apple via the App Store did what it could to push ChatGPT. Experts say that Musk’s case is untested but it will play out in the space which regulators are increasingly pressuring and which they already think Apple’s App Store is too restrictive in.
Sources: News reports from Reuters, AppleInsider, Gizmodo, and economic publications, which cite Elon Musk’s statements on X and related App Store data. These sources detail Musk’s claims, App Store rankings, Apple’s OpenAI partnership, and regulators’ actions.
