Apple Dismisses Elon Musk’s App Store Bias Allegations, Defends Fair AI App Rankings
Apple rebuts Elon Musk’s accusations of App Store bias, insisting AI app rankings and placements are based on fair, objective criteria
Apple has firmly rejected claims from Elon Musk that its App Store favours certain AI applications, particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT, over his own AI ventures. The tech giant maintains that its rankings and recommendations are “fair and free of bias,” countering the billionaire’s accusations of unfair treatment.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and social platform X, took aim at Apple in a late-night post on X. He alleged that OpenAI’s ChatGPT enjoys a prime position in the App Store while his own products — X and xAI’s chatbot Grok — are being quietly pushed aside. Musk argued that despite Grok’s recent updates, including making Grok 4 free for all users, and X topping the News chart, his AI could only secure fifth place overall and second in the Productivity category. ChatGPT, meanwhile, continues to dominate the top spot, aided by prominent App Store placement.
He also criticised Apple for excluding his apps from the coveted “Must Have” section, where ChatGPT currently features, and threatened “immediate legal action” over what he views as preferential treatment — though no lawsuit has yet been filed.
In a statement to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple denied these allegations. “The App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias,” the company asserted, explaining that rankings come from a combination of charts, algorithms, and expert editorial curation based on “objective criteria.” Apple further emphasised its mission of “safe discovery” for users, ensuring apps meet certain standards while offering developers opportunities for visibility.
This focus on safety may hint at why Grok is absent from key editorial sections. In recent weeks, Musk’s AI chatbot has faced criticism over antisemitic content, sexualised features, and celebrity deepfake outputs — issues that could clash with Apple’s guidelines despite high download numbers.
The dispute is fuelled by a deeper rivalry between Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Altman responded to Musk’s claims by suggesting that the billionaire has engaged in similar behaviour on X, tweaking algorithms to prioritise his own posts and companies.
The controversy comes at a delicate time for Apple. The company is already embroiled in a high-profile antitrust case brought by the US Department of Justice and is appealing a ruling from its prolonged battle with Epic Games, which forced changes to certain App Store rules. Any suggestion of favouritism could intensify scrutiny from regulators and critics alike.
For now, Musk’s warnings remain just that — warnings. But with AI apps becoming one of the fastest-growing categories in the mobile market, competition for visibility on platforms like the App Store is fierce. Whether Musk follows through with legal action or Apple adjusts its editorial approach, the fight over digital shelf space is likely to continue.
