Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has accused Apple of anti-competitive behavior in the App Store and says it will take legal action. Musk argued that Apple’s curation and rankings unfairly favor OpenAI’s ChatGPT while excluding both X and xAI’s Grok from high-visibility placements such as the “Must Have” section. He called the situation an antitrust violation and said xAI will move ahead with a lawsuit, according to Reuters.
At the center of the dispute is how Apple features and ranks apps. Musk said Grok ranks among the top free apps in the United States and X is a leading news app globally, yet neither appears in Apple’s editorial spotlights. He also claimed ChatGPT sits at or near the top of category charts while Google’s Gemini is far lower. Apple, xAI, and OpenAI have not issued formal statements, and Apple does not publicly disclose the full criteria that determine rankings or editorial placements.
Musk’s position frames the App Store as a gatekeeper that can materially influence which AI chatbots reach mainstream users. The argument hinges on two related ideas. First, sections such as “Must Have” deliver meaningful distribution that cannot be replicated with ads or organic search alone. Second, that sustained chart position, if affected by non-neutral curation, could tilt the competitive field toward one provider. If filed, the lawsuit will likely test whether Apple’s editorial choices constitute protected curation or a competition issue when the platform operator also exercises control over distribution and payments.
The broader regulatory backdrop matters. In April 2025, the European Union fined Apple 500 million euros under the Digital Markets Act for restricting developers from directing users to cheaper options outside the App Store. Apple is appealing the decision and has since announced rule changes in the EU to address the order. In the United States, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled in April that Apple violated a prior injunction from the Epic Games case, found the company in civil contempt, and referred the matter to federal prosecutors for possible criminal contempt. Apple has said it will comply while appealing. These actions do not decide Musk’s claims, but they show sustained scrutiny of how Apple runs the App Store.
If xAI proceeds, the case could focus on the boundary between platform curation and market power. Courts could examine whether Apple’s featuring units and ranking signals are applied consistently, whether editorial picks create de facto barriers for rivals, and whether consumers are harmed by any structural advantage granted to a single AI provider. Apple will likely argue that rankings are driven by user behavior and that editorial placements are protected judgments designed to improve user experience and safety.
In the near term, nothing changes for customers. Grok, ChatGPT, and other AI apps remain available to download, and rankings will continue to shift based on installs and engagement. The significance of xAI’s claim is less about a single day’s chart and more about whether the rules that govern distribution are neutral and predictable. As regulators and courts continue to evaluate Apple’s policies, any legal filing from xAI will add another high-profile test of App Store practices.
