A few days ago, Elon Musk took to X to accuse Apple of committing what he called an “unequivocal antitrust violation” related to the App Store’s handling of AI apps. In his post, Musk complained that Apple never features his own platforms, be it X or Grok, in the App Store’s highlight sections. He stated that he saw Apple preferring OpenAI’s ChatGPT over any other AI apps and that xAI would take “immediate legal action” against Apple.
Apple denies Musk’s accusations of App Store bias, insisting its AI app rankings are based on safety, fairness, and objective criteria
Apple was quick to respond and issued a statement the very next day via Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The company stated that its App Store rankings are guided by a commitment to “safe discovery for users” and meaningful visibility for app developers, across fast-evolving categories, while pointing to objective and safety-focused criteria, rather than favoritism, as the basis for its recommendations.
However, there is more nuance to the story, as external data seems to suggest that other AI apps have reached the top spot in different markets. For instance, apps like China’s DeepSeek reached the top spot in January of this year, while Perplexity AI hit number one in July, which is evidence that other AI apps have indeed achieved prominence, even outside of ChatGPT.
“The App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias. We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria.”
“Our goal is to offer safe discovery for users and valuable opportunities for developers, collaborating with many to increase app visibility in rapidly evolving categories.”
Musk’s frustration appears to stem from the fact that, despite the X app topping the News chart just yesterday, it never received a prominent feature on the App Store, a move he believes makes it hard to climb the overall rankings. Musk’s emotions piled up when xAI launched new features and made Grok 4 free for all users, but even after this, the Grok app managed to reach only fifth place overall and second in the Productivity category.
The whole situation highlights more than just App Store politics, as it underscores a broader, escalating conflict between Musk with xAI’s Grok and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. With Apple functioning as a gatekeeper in the AI app ecosystem, the accusations and counter-accusations take on legal and ethical folds. The overall feud is about visibility, fairness, and who gets to define what fair means.
Musk is framing Apple’s App Store as leaning towards ChatGPT, questioning how neutral the system really is. Apple, on the flip side, insists that it is not choosing favorites, but simply trying to keep things secure and discoverable for users and developers. At this point, all eyes are on whether the situation will move beyond heated rhetoric comments to actual legal proceedings.
About the author: Ali Salman is a technology reporter for Wccftech mobile section with a specialized focus on Apple and the intellectual property that drives mobile innovation. He has cultivated a unique expertise in analyzing and deconstructing complex technology patents, translating dense legal and technical documents into clear, insightful reports on future products.
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