Musk Accuses Apple of Anti-Competitive Behavior in App Store, Threatens Lawsuit

Elon Musk has issued a legal threat against Apple, alleging the company is violating antitrust regulations. Musk’s claims, made on X, center around the assertion that Apple is hindering the ability of AI companies, other than OpenAI, to achieve top rankings in the App Store. This perceived preferential treatment towards OpenAI has prompted Musk to consider legal action. The backdrop to this dispute is the intensifying competition between xAI’s Grok and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. With the recent release of Grok 4, xAI has positioned its model as a superior alternative. In addition to the antitrust claims, Musk criticized Apple’s decision to omit X and Grok from the ‘Must Have’ section of the App Store, despite their high rankings in the news and overall app categories. The prominence of ChatGPT in Apple’s charts, coupled with Apple’s integration of OpenAI technology into its products, fuels Musk’s accusations of bias. The situation could escalate into a legal confrontation between the companies, though past statements from Musk have not always led to immediate action. Grok’s recent improvements, including features for image and video generation, have boosted its rankings within the App Store, further highlighting the competitive landscape.