Technology & Science
Musk Threatens Antitrust Suit Over Apple’s App-Store Favoritism Toward OpenAI
On 12 Aug 2025 Elon Musk announced on X that his firm xAI would file “immediate legal action” alleging Apple’s App Store editorial choices block Grok and X from reaching top-ranked slots while repeatedly spotlighting OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Focusing Facts
- Sensor Tower data the same day showed ChatGPT at #1 and Grok at #5 on the U.S. Top Free iPhone Apps chart.
- Apple’s partnership to embed ChatGPT system-wide was unveiled on 10 Jun 2024 at WWDC.
- Community-note fact-checkers pointed out DeepSeek hit #1 in Jan 2025 and Perplexity topped India’s chart on 18 Jul 2025, undercutting Musk’s absolute claim.
Context
Platform owners using distribution choke-points is not new: Microsoft’s bundling of Internet Explorer in 1998 prompted U.S. v. Microsoft, and Apple’s own clash with Epic Games in 2020 – 24 showed how tightly-run app stores invite antitrust scrutiny. Musk’s threat fits a larger arc in which AI models are becoming the new ‘default browser,’ and whoever controls the on-device gateway gains data, mind-share, and rents. Over the past decade regulators from Brussels to Washington have steadily shifted from laissez-faire to activist intervention against Big Tech walled gardens; this dust-up signals that AI discovery, not just payment links, will be the next battleground. Whether the suit materializes or not, it accelerates a long-term (50-100 yr) transition from open internet distribution to vertically integrated AI ecosystems, with courts and lawmakers still writing the rules of engagement.
Perspectives
Business and finance outlets sympathetic to Musk
e.g., Yahoo! Finance, Zero Hedge, Business Insider — Present Apple’s App Store curation as clear-cut anticompetitive favoritism toward OpenAI, treating Musk’s promised lawsuit as a credible response to a monopoly abuse. Stories largely echo Musk’s posts without independent evidence, appealing to audiences critical of Big Tech gatekeeping and amplifying sensational antitrust claims that benefit Musk’s public narrative.
Mainstream global outlets challenging Musk’s allegation
e.g., BBC, India Today, Quartz — Emphasize that other AI apps have topped the charts and note Musk offered no proof, suggesting his charge of Apple favoritism is unsubstantiated and part of a broader, unresolved feud. Coverage may lean toward protecting Apple’s curated-store reputation and portraying Musk as overreaching, potentially downplaying legitimate antitrust scrutiny the company already faces.
Tech-industry commentary outlets framing the story as Musk-Altman drama
e.g., Punch Newspapers, Forbes, Wccftech — Cast the episode mainly as another round in the personal rivalry between Musk and Sam Altman, highlighting accusations that Musk manipulates X and noting Grok even sided against its owner. Focusing on personality clashes over policy lets headlines trade on celebrity conflict for clicks and may obscure substantive questions about App Store power or AI competition.