Elon Musk, the billionaire behind SpaceX, Tesla, and social media platform X, has announced plans to sue Apple. He accuses the tech giant of intentionally leaving X and its AI chatbot app Grok out of the App Store's "Must Have" recommendations, despite their high rankings.
In a post on X late Monday, Musk directly questioned Apple's decision. He wrote that X is currently the world's top news app and Grok ranks fifth among all apps, yet neither appears in the curated "Must Have" list. Musk suggested politics might be behind the omission, asking publicly, "What gives? Inquiring minds want to know."
Grok is developed by Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI. In his comments, Musk accused Apple of creating conditions that make it "impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI" to claim the number one spot in the App Store. He called this an "unequivocal antitrust violation" and said xAI would begin immediate legal proceedings. No further details on the lawsuit were provided.
Apple responded in an emailed statement, rejecting the claims of bias. The company said the App Store is "designed to be fair and free of bias," using algorithmic rankings, curated expert selections, and charts to highlight apps. Apple added that it works with developers to improve visibility, especially in new and competitive markets.
The dispute comes as Apple faces growing scrutiny over antitrust practices. In April, the European Union fined Apple €500 million for blocking app makers from directing users to cheaper payment options outside the App Store. In 2024, Apple was also fined nearly $2 billion by the EU for allegedly favoring its own music streaming service over rivals like Spotify.
A U.S. federal judge recently ruled Apple had violated a court injunction in a separate antitrust case brought by Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite.
As of Tuesday morning, TikTok held the top spot in the App Store, followed by Tinder, Duolingo, YouTube, and Bumble. OpenAI's ChatGPT app ranked seventh.
