Apple opens up its NFC in iPhone to third-party developers in the EU to settle antitrust investigation
Apple said it will allow third-party mobile wallet and payment system providers to access NFC capabilities in the iPhone. This decision is part of the company’s efforts to settle the antitrust investigation initiated by the European Commission. The Commission is currently collecting data on these commitments, which aim to end Apple Pay and Apple Wallet’s exclusive access to the iPhone’s NFC payment capabilities. This is a new stage in the investigation, which has been going on for almost four years.
Apple’s commitment is a response to the Commission’s formal accusations, made a year and a half ago, that iOS policy restricts competition in the mobile payments market, which is a violation of EU law. Although Apple allowed third-party developers to access NFC to read electronic tags, the company limited payments via NFC.
Now, according to Apple, after discussions with the European Commission, the company has proposed a commitment that will allow third-party app developers in the European Economic Area to provide their users with the ability to make contact NFC payments through their iOS apps, independent of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
These obligations do not apply to iPhone users or third-party wallet developers outside the EU, but the Commission notes that Apple’s proposals would allow individuals with an Apple ID registered in the European Economic Area to use third-party NFC payment applications outside the bloc.
The obligations will be valid for 10 years, and Apple may be fined up to 10% of its annual global turnover for non-compliance.
The move is part of a broader EU effort to regulate the tech giants, including an investigation into Apple Pay and other Apple services that the Commission believes violate antitrust rules.
