“APP STORE SHOWDOWN: ELON MUSK THREATENS APPLE WITH ANTITRUST LAWSUIT”
GREATRIBUNETVNEWS–Musk is taking a bold stance against Apple, accusing the tech giant of antitrust violations and threatening immediate legal action over alleged biases in App Store rankings.
Musk claims Apple’s practices unfairly favor OpenAI’s ChatGPT, making it impossible for other AI companies, like his own xAI’s Grok, to reach the top spot.
*The Controversy:*
– Musk asserts Apple’s App Store rankings are skewed, limiting fair competition in the AI app market.
– Grok, despite being highly popular, ranks sixth in free App Store downloads, while ChatGPT holds the number one spot.
– Musk questions Apple’s editorial choices, citing the exclusion of his apps, X and Grok, from the “Must Have” section.
*The Fallout:*
– Apple faces increased regulatory pressure, having been fined €500 million by the European Union earlier this year for similar antitrust violations.
– The lawsuit could set a precedent for app store regulations and transparency.
– Public debate surrounds the power dynamics between tech giants and app developers, with Musk advocating for a more level playing field.
In response to Musk’s latest remarks, Altman said, “This is a remarkable claim given what I have heard alleged that Elon does to manipulate X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors.”
In another post, the billionaire criticised Apple’s choices, questioning why his companies’ apps were excluded from the store’s ‘Must Have’ section.
“Hey @Apple App Store, why do you refuse to put either or Grok in your “Must Have” section when is the #1 news app in the world and Grok is #5 among all apps? Are you playing politics? What gives? Inquiring minds want to know,” Musk posted.
Apple is yet to respond to the allegations.
The company is already facing multiple antitrust challenges, including a US Justice Department lawsuit accusing it of running a monopoly over the iPhone ecosystem.
In June, a panel of judges upheld a ruling restricting Apple’s control over in-app payment links on the App Store.
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