Elon Musk, the tech billionaire known for his bold moves, says Apple’s App Store is playing favourites. He alleges that the ranking system gives an edge to competitors—like OpenAI’s ChatGPT—while his own AI offering from xAI, Grok, is stuck in sixth place in the U.S. Top Free Apps section.
Musk contends that this setup isn’t just a quirk of the algorithm—it might actually breach antitrust laws. If you’ve ever felt sidelined by tech platforms that seem to prioritise bigger names, you’ll understand his frustration. He also wonders why neither Grok nor his platform, X, lands a spot in Apple’s coveted ‘Must Have’ section, hinting that there may be more at play than simple oversight.
This isn’t the first time Apple’s under the spotlight for its App Store practices. After a California court ruled that Apple had violated competition laws—forcing the company to offer alternative payment options—the tech giant also faced a hefty €500 million fine from the European Commission for restricting developers from guiding users to more affordable alternatives. Meanwhile, Musk’s comments have sparked rumours of a potential ban on Apple devices from his companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, though nothing has been confirmed yet.
CNN has reached out to xAI, Apple, and OpenAI for further comment. As this legal battle unfolds, it’s a reminder of the growing tensions in tech over market fairness and platform control.
