Musk's xAI opened Grok 4 and image generation tool Grok Imagine (seemingly limited to the US) to free users last weekend, bringing a new wave of experience.
However, around 9 am this morning, Musk threatened to sue Apple for unfair competition in an X post, apparently dissatisfied that Grok is not ranked at the top.
Apple's approach makes it impossible for AI companies other than OpenAI to rank first on the App Store, which is a clear antitrust violation. xAI will take immediate legal action.
Community Reactions and Rebuttals
Within less than ten minutes, a series of replies quickly emerged. The crypto research community account Brew Markets quickly refuted Musk, posting a screenshot showing that AI chatbot DeepSeek had topped the App Store ranking in January this year, contradicting Musk's statement.
Some users also questioned, "How is this a violation? As a private enterprise, Apple can naturally promote the apps it wants to."
Currently, Musk has only said he will "take immediate legal action" without disclosing lawsuit details. But if xAI truly takes Apple to court, potential discussion topics might include:
Developer Ranking Visibility: Whether ranking algorithms need to be more transparent, which relates to app downloads and developer interests.
Competition Rules: If the court determines Apple hinders market competition, other ecosystems might follow with self-censorship to avoid similar accusations.
User Choice: Any ranking adjustments will directly affect users' perception and trust of app applications.
Is There Really Suppression of Grok?
According to BlockTempo's test, in Taiwan's productivity tools category, Grok currently ranks third, with ChatGPT and Google Gemini in the top two positions. Whether there is deliberate suppression as Musk claims remains questionable, but it's likely just another verbal sparring.
