Apple defends App Store rankings after Musk accuses favoritism
What's the story
Apple has denied Elon Musk's claims of bias in its App Store rankings. The tech giant issued a statement to Bloomberg, saying that the platform is "designed to be fair and free of bias." The rebuttal comes after Musk accused Apple of favoring OpenAI in its app rankings and making it difficult for other AI companies to succeed.
Apple's defense
Apple's response to Musk's allegations
Apple defended its App Store, saying it features "thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria." The company added that its goal is to provide a safe discovery experience for users while creating valuable opportunities for developers.
Musk's stance
Musk threatens legal action against Apple
Musk had accused Apple of "unequivocal antitrust violation" for favoring OpenAI in a post on X. He threatened to take immediate legal action against the company. In another post, he questioned why Apple doesn't feature either X or Grok in its 'Must Have' section, despite their popularity. This was part of his broader accusation that Apple is playing politics with its app rankings.
Altman's response
OpenAI CEO responds to Musk's claims
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also addressed Musk's claims, calling it a "remarkable claim." He pointed out that there are accusations against Musk for manipulating "X to benefit himself and his own companies and harm his competitors and people he doesn't like." In response, Musk dismissed Altman's comments by saying, "Scam Altman lies as easily as he breathes."