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Elon Musk Targets Apple With Antitrust Lawsuit Over App Store Rankings

By  |  August 12, 2025

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk announced Monday that his artificial intelligence company, xAI, will file a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that the tech giant has engaged in anticompetitive behavior in how it manages App Store rankings. According to Reuters, Musk claimed the company’s practices make it “impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI” to secure the top spot in the store’s rankings.

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    Musk made the statement in a post on his social media platform X, asserting that xAI will “take immediate legal action” against Apple. He did not offer evidence to substantiate the accusation. Per Reuters, Apple, OpenAI, and xAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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    Data from the App Store currently shows OpenAI’s ChatGPT holding the number one position in the “Top Free Apps” category for iPhones in the United States. xAI’s Grok chatbot is in fifth place, while Google’s Gemini is ranked 57th. Reuters also reported that ChatGPT leads the charts on the Google Play Store, citing data from analytics firm Sensor Tower.

    Read more: Democratic Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Musk’s Task Force and Taxpayer Data Security

    Apple has partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT across its iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Earlier on Monday, Musk posted another message on X questioning why neither Grok nor the X app appears in Apple’s “Must Have” section, despite their high rankings in their respective categories.

    The dispute comes amid increased scrutiny of Apple’s App Store policies by regulators and competitors. In April, a U.S. judge found the company in violation of a court order aimed at fostering greater competition, referring Apple to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation in a case brought by Epic Games, maker of “Fortnite.” According to Reuters, the European Union also fined Apple 500 million euros ($587 million) earlier this year for restricting developers from directing users to cheaper options outside the App Store, a breach of the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.

    Source: Reuters