xAI to sue Apple over app store rankings, citing antitrust violations

By Mofeoluwa Awe

Billionaire Elon Musk’s AI business, xAI, will sue Apple. Musk accuses the tech giant of anti-competitive behavior in its App Store. He claims Apple’s ranking algorithm unjustly favors rival AI startup OpenAI. According to Musk, this makes it “impossible” for other AI chatbots to reach the top spot.

Musk asserts on his social media account X that this advantaged treatment amounts to an “unequivocal antitrust violation.” However, the CEO failed to provide any proof for his claim. This latest development adds fuel to the fire, as Apple recently partnered with OpenAI to include ChatGPT in its operating systems.

Part of a Larger Legal Trend

This lawsuit threat is part of a larger trend of government investigations and legal cases. These actions aim to limit Apple’s power over its online store. For example, the company recently experienced legal defeats. A U.S. judge cited a contempt reference in the ongoing case with Epic Games, the company that made Fortnite. Similarly, the European Union issued a large 500 million euro fine for Apple’s violation of the Digital Markets Act. These moves show Apple is under increasing pressure to allow more competition into its ecosystem.

Meanwhile, Musk’s remarks followed a previous tweet. In that post, he questioned why Apple’s App Store did not include X or Grok in its “Must Have” sections. He implied that the company’s curation choices were politically influenced.