Elon Musk Threatens Legal Action Against Apple Over Alleged App Store Favoritism

Musk Accuses Apple of Unfairly Favoring OpenAI Among iPhone Apps

Elon Musk lashed out against Apple Inc.'s app store practices late on Monday, accusing the iPhone maker of favoring OpenAI. The billionaire founder of xAI Holdings, which now houses the Grok artificial intelligence team and X social network, said Apple makes it impossible for anyone other than OpenAI to reach the top of the App Store charts, a sought-after global spotlight for app developers. In a pinned post on his X account, Musk asked if Apple is "playing politics" by not highlighting his products.

Musk says xAI to take legal action against Apple over App Store rankings

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday his artificial intelligence startup xAI would take legal action against Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, accusing the iPhone maker of breaching antitrust regulations in managing the App Store rankings. "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," Musk said in a post on his social media platform X. Musk did not provide evidence to support his claim. Apple, OpenAI, and xAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. ChatGPT currently holds the top spot in the App Store's "Top Free Apps" section for iPhones in the U.S., while xAI's Grok ranks fifth and Google's Gemini chatbot sits at 57th. ChatGPT also leads the rankings on the Google Play Store, according to Sensor Tower data. Apple has a partnership with OpenAI that integrates ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads and Macs. "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 said in an earlier post Monday. Musk's comments come as regulators and rivals intensify scrutiny of Apple's control over its App Store. In April, a U.S. judge ruled that Apple violated a court order requiring it to allow greater competition in its App Store and referred the company to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, in a case brought by 'Fortnite' maker Epic Games. Apple was handed a 500 million euro ($587 million) fine by the EU antitrust enforcer in April, saying its technical and commercial restrictions prevented app developers from steering users to cheaper deals outside the App Store in breach of the Digital Markets Act. Reporting by Surbhi Misra and Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich and Kate Mayberry Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Boards, Policy & Regulation

Musk accuses Apple of antitrust violation, says xAI will take legal action

Aug 11 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Monday Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab is engaging in antitrust violations by allegedly making it impossible for any artificial intelligence company other than OpenAI to reach the No. 1 spot in its App Store rankings, calling it an "unequivocal antitrust violation." "xAI will take immediate legal action," Musk said in an X post. Reporting by Surbhi Misra in Bengaluru Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab * Suggested Topics: * Boards, Policy & Regulation

Musk threatens 'immediate' legal action against Apple over alleged antitrust violations

Elon Musk, the founder of xAI, on Monday threatened Apple with legal action over alleged antitrust violations related to rankings of his AI chatbot app, Grok. "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," Musk wrote in a post on social media platform X. "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 said in another post.

Elon Musk Says Apple Is Rigging the App Store for ChatGPT

The tech mogul is threatening immediate legal action, accusing the iPhone maker of an "unequivocal antitrust violation" designed to favor his AI rival. Elon Musk has opened a fresh front in his ongoing feud with Big Tech.This time he's targeting Apple. On Monday night, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO accused the iPhone maker of antitrust violations, claiming its App Store policies put his AI chatbot Grok, developed by xAI, at a disadvantage compared to rivals, particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT. “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,†Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter). “xAI will take immediate legal action.†Musk didn’t elaborate on the legal strategy or confirm whether a lawsuit is already in motion. But his public offensive had begun earlier in the evening, as if he were building a case before a jury. “Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either ğ* or Grok in your â€~Must Have’ section when ğ* is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps?†he wrote in another post. “Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know.†A quick check by Gizmodo found that ChatGPT is currently the No. 1 free app in the U.S. iOS App Store and the only AI chatbot featured in Apple’s “Must-Have Apps†section. Musk sees that as evidence of bias, and he’s tying it to Apple’s deeper ties with OpenAI. “And why is ChatGPT literally in every list where you have editorial control?†he added in yet another post. Apple and OpenAI announced a partnership in June 2024 to integrate ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads, and Macs through Siri and system-wide writing tools. The deal gave OpenAI’s chatbot unprecedented visibility and direct access to hundreds of millions of Apple users. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 but left the company three years later after a falling-out, has since become one of its fiercest critics. His AI company, xAI, launched Grok in late 2023, branding it as an “edgy†alternative to mainstream chatbots. Grok is integrated directly into X, the social platform Musk acquired in 2022. The spat with Apple adds to Musk’s growing list of AI-related battles, including lawsuits, public feuds with former allies, and frequent claims that competitors are politically biased. Musk’s threat marks the opening salvo in what could become a major new antitrust fight. Apple has long faced scrutiny and lawsuits from developers such as Epic Games, as well as regulators in the U.S. and Europe, who argue that its iron grip on the App Store amounts to an illegal monopoly. Now, Musk is repurposing those same arguments for the AI era. His complaint targets the core of Apple’s App Store power: the ability to anoint winners and bury rivals through editorial curation and promotion. For an upstart like xAI, being sidelined while a competitor enjoys premium placement can be fatal. In Musk’s view, Apple’s promotion of ChatGPT is part of a cozy, potentially anti-competitive relationship with OpenAI. Apple did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment. It’s Musk’s classic strong arm move. He’s done it before, yell loud enough, play the bully, and force your rival to the table. Now the question is whether Apple takes the bait or calls his bluff.

Elon Musk accuses Apple of favoring OpenAI in App Store rankings - 9to5Mac

Elon Musk is (once again) going after Apple, this time accusing the company of an "unequivocal antitrust violation" for allegedly favoring OpenAI in the App Store's AI rankings. Here are the details. Last month, xAI released Grok 4, its latest large language model, promising major performance gains over leading competitors. Since then, the company has also rolled out features like Grok Imagine, its image and video generator, as well as customizable "companion" chatbots. During the same time period, according to data from App Figures, the Grok app climbed from around 60th to 29th place in the overall App Store rankings last week. Earlier today, xAI made Grok 4 free for users worldwide, helping the app climb further to fifth place in the overall App Store rankings, and second in the Productivity category. Still, that hasn't been enough to dethrone OpenAI's ChatGPT, which has spent the better part of the past year hovering at, or near, the top of Apple's charts. For the past year, Apple has also repeatedly featured ChatGPT in its App Store editorial content. More significantly, it partnered with OpenAI as part of its new Apple Intelligence rollout, which includes direct Siri integration and support for the Writing Tools feature. Earlier tonight Elon Musk posted the following on X: It's unclear what exactly triggered his threat of legal action, but if history is any guide, he'll likely post more about it as his supporters egg him on. So his reasoning behind the move may become more apparent as the hours and days progress. Musk, of course, co-founded OpenAI before parting ways with the organization early on. More recently, he sued the company in an effort to block its transition to a for-profit model, a case still making its way through the courts. So it's possible his latest grievance with the App Store is just an extension of that broader fight, and that he sees Apple's platform as playing a key and anticompetitive role in OpenAI's continued success. Do you think Apple is giving OpenAI an unfair advantage on the App Store? Let us know in the comments.

Elon Musk to Take Legal Action Against Apple | AIM

He accuses Apple of participating in 'unequivocal antitrust violation'; however, he did not provide any evidence to back his claims. Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of xAI, has said that the company will take 'immediate legal action' against Apple. In a post on X, Musk said, "Apple is behaving in a manner that makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI to reach #1 on the App Store," and called it an unequivocal antitrust violation. While Musk did not provide further information or evidence to back his claims, as of August 12, ChatGPT currently holds the top spot on the App Store in the United States. That said, OpenAI and Apple announced a partnership last year to integrate ChatGPT into Apple Intelligence for various capabilities, including image and document understanding. Soon after Musk's claims, Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, hit back. In a post on X, Altman said, "This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn't like." This argument has now added another dimension to the heavily strained relationship between Musk and Altman, who once worked together at OpenAI. "I hope someone will get counter-discovery on this, I and many others would love to know what's been happening. But OpenAI will just stay focused on making great products," Altman added. However, several people on social media questioned Musk's claims, pointing out how various AI apps other than ChatGPT have topped the charts on the App Store. At one point, DeepSeek, the AI app from China, made headlines for reaching the #1 spot on the App Store. Additionally, Perplexity, which often presents itself as a competitor to ChatGPT, recently took the number one position in the App Store in India.

Elon Musk says xAI to take legal action against Apple over App Store rankings - The Economic Times

Billionaire Elon Musk said on Monday his artificial intelligence startup xAI would take legal action against Apple , accusing the iPhone maker of breaching antitrust regulations in managing the App Store rankings. "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," Musk said in a post on his social media platform X. Musk did not provide evidence to support his claim. Apple, OpenAI, and xAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. ChatGPT currently holds the top spot in the App Store's "Top Free Apps" section for iPhones in the U.S., while xAI's Grok ranks fifth and Google's Gemini chatbot sits at 57th. ChatGPT also leads the rankings on the Google Play Store, according to Sensor Tower data. Apple has a partnership with OpenAI that integrates ChatGPT into iPhones, iPads and Macs. "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 said in an earlier post Monday. Musk's comments come as regulators and rivals intensify scrutiny of Apple's control over its App Store. In April, a U.S. judge ruled that Apple violated a court order requiring it to allow greater competition in its App Store and referred the company to federal prosecutors for a criminal contempt investigation, in a case brought by 'Fortnite' maker Epic Games. Apple was handed a 500 million euro ($587 million) fine by the EU antitrust enforcer in April, saying its technical and commercial restrictions prevented app developers from steering users to cheaper deals outside the App Store in breach of the Digital Markets Act.

Elon Musk Threatens Immediate Legal Action Against Apple Over Antitrust Violations, Alleges iPhone Maker Favors OpenAI - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Elon Musk has threatened Apple Inc. AAPL with immediate legal action, accusing the tech giant of antitrust violations after allegedly suppressing his AI venture xAI's Grok app in favor of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Musk Accuses Apple Of Antitrust Violations On Monday, Musk took to X, formerly Twitter, to accuse Apple of deliberately making it impossible for any AI company other than OpenAI to reach the top of the App Store rankings. "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," Musk said, adding, "xAI will take immediate legal action." In another post, he also questioned why Apple continues to exclude both his companies: the social media platform X and the Grok app by xAI from the "Must Have" section of the App Store, despite their high rankings. Musk pointed out that X is the top news app globally and Grok is currently ranked #5 among all apps. "Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know," he asked. See Also: AMD CEO Lisa Su Says China Strategy Rebounding As MI308 AI Chips Await US License: 'Better Position Than We Were Ninety Days Ago' Apple did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comments. Musk Alleged Favoritism Toward OpenAI, But Sam Altman Fires Back Musk's accusations come in the wake of Apple's deepening partnership with OpenAI, which saw the integration of ChatGPT into Apple's ecosystem for iPhones, iPads and Macs. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismissed Musk's favoritism accusation, calling it "remarkable" and alleging that Musk has manipulated X to advance his own businesses while undermining rivals and individuals he dislikes. Notably, Musk, who co-founded OpenAI in 2015 and left it in 2018 over some differences, has previously stated that if Apple fully integrated ChatGPT at the OS level, his companies, including Tesla Inc. TSLA, would no longer use Apple devices due to security concerns. Earlier this year, a Musk-led consortium of investors made a $97.4 billion bid to take control of OpenAI, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Price Action: On Monday, Apple shares fell 0.83%, with an additional 0.38% decline in after-hours trading to $226.32 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro. Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that AAPL still maintains a strong upward trend across short, medium and long-term periods. Additional performance details are available here. See Also: Trump Open To Scaled-Down Nvidia Blackwell AI Chip For China: Jensen Huang Is 'Coming To See Me Again About That' Photo Courtesy: Photo Agency on Shutterstock.com Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. TSLATesla Inc$339.813.08%Stock Score Locked: Want to See it? Benzinga Rankings give you vital metrics on any stock - anytime. Reveal Full ScoreEdge RankingsMomentum82.80Growth69.99Quality81.97Value9.44Price TrendShortMediumLongOverviewAAPLApple Inc$226.32-1.32%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Elon Musk accuses Apple of favoring OpenAI in App Store, says xAI will take legal action

Calling the situation an "unequivocal antitrust violation," he announced plans to take "immediate legal action" against Apple. Elon Musk has accused Apple of giving OpenAI an unfair advantage in the App Store. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he claimed that Apple is making it "impossible" for other AI companies besides OpenAI to reach the top position in the App Store. Taking aim at Apple's App Store, Musk wrote on X, "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? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know." In another post, he said, "Apple didn't just put their thumb on the scale, they put their whole body!" Also read: Your iPhone could soon run entirely on Siri's voice commands, here's how Calling the situation an "unequivocal antitrust violation," he announced plans to take "immediate legal action" against Apple. This comes at a time when the competition between xAI's Grok and OpenAI's ChatGPT is rapidly intensifying. Last month, xAI launched Grok 4. The company has since added features like Grok Imagine, which can create images and videos, as well as customised "companion" chatbots. Also read: Apple iPhone 16 Pro price drops by Rs 19,000 on Flipkart: Check deal details here The dispute is also likely tied to Musk's past with OpenAI. He co-founded the company but later left. Now, as the head of xAI, Musk is in direct competition with his former company and sees Apple's actions as a barrier to fair play. It remains to be seen whether Musk will follow through with his legal threat. In the past, he has made similar statements without following them through. For now, the rivalry between xAI, OpenAI and Apple appears to be escalating, with no signs of cooling down anytime soon.