Amber Neely
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets has turned a critical eye to manufacturers that limit access to any smartphone's near-field communications system.
Apple was not named directly in the probe. However, the Cupertino tech giant has a long history of being criticized for limiting access to the iPhone NFC chip, making it clear who the investigation targets.
Banks and competing financial companies worldwide have complained that by limiting access, Apple forces users to only use services compatible with Apple's own Apple Pay.
According to Bloomberg, the Dutch authority "will investigate whether limiting the payment apps' access to NFC communication reduces the users' freedom of choice," it said. If it "does establish a violation, it may result in a penalty, such as a fine."
As usual, Apple's response to the criticism is to remind both investigators and consumers that Apple Pay limits access to the NFC system for security purposes.
The probe comes at a time when Apple is facing increased scrutiny over anticompetitive behavior both at home and abroad. In October, the U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee accused Apple of holding a monopoly over the distribution of apps on iOS devices via the App Store.
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Wesley Hilliard
AppleInsider Staff
Andrew Orr
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51 Comments
This sounds like a similar situation that went on in Australia when certain banks filed a lawsuit demanding NFC access. They lost and eventually allowed ApplePay.
Apple should make a "limited edition" iPhone
sans a nfc chip just for countries/governments that impose this.
I am so, so, so excited about some government trying to micromanage Apple's services to the point where Apple just gives up and says, "Fine, we won't sell iPhones or internet services to anyone in your country. Buh-bye." Let's see how that helps consumers in the Netherlands "increase their freedom of choice." Doesn't the Dutch government understand that the iPhone itself IS a choice? The only way that the Netherlands could mandate this is if they made the iPhone the only legal smart phone that anyone in the Netherlands could ever use. In that case I would back them up. Android has a 57% share of smartphones in the Netherlands and iOS has 42%, and they want to boot iOS out of their country? How does that increase choice? That will hand a 99% marketshare to Android. Where's the choice then?
This is pot calling the kettle black! The local transport authority in Amsterdam (GVB) (I’m sure it’s the same for other cities) and national rail (NS) have a contactless card system that you have to use called the ov chip card.