EU to charge 'anti-competitive' Apple over reserving NFC for Apple Pay

The European Union's antitrust regulator is set to charge Apple with being anti-competitive, because of its practice of limiting iPhone NFC technology to Apple Pay.

As the EU presses for Apple to allow alternative app stores, it is also planning to charge Apple over NFC. It follows an investigation into whether Apple unfairly shuts out competitors, giving Apple Pay a greater competitive advantage in the market.

According to Reuters, unnamed sources familiar with the regulator, say that the EU is drafting a statement of objections. This formal document is expected to be sent to Apple next year.

The news comes shortly after Tim Cook reportedly met with Margrethe Vestager, EU competition chief, in New York.

This EU investigation started formally in June 2020, but the regulator first received complaints from rivals to Apple Pay in 2019. In October 2019, it reached out to online retailers to consult over the impact of Apple and its payment system.

They were asked whether there were contractual obligations to enable particular payment methods. The survey also investigated whether apps were being rejected for failing to comply with Apple Pay terms and conditions.

34 Comments

johnnybtrue 26 comments · 6 Years

About 3 years ago

So where are any real facts, just sensationalism on what the EU might do next year.

Really

mac_dog 1083 comments · 16 Years

The rest of the world (especially the US & EU) should tread lightly with respect to Apple. If they start dismantling the company, they’ll go broke. They don’t seem to have any other means of generating funds other than these endless lawsuits where Apple is always paying out.

rob53 3307 comments · 13 Years

The EU can take a hike! Apple can reserve NFC for itself, they don't have to provide that capability to anyone else. The EU has no grounds to tell a company that it has to make anything that company creates available to everyone. I can create a product that only I am allowed to use and no government can tell me I am required to allow others to use it. The EU is turning into a dictatorship.

StrangeDays 12966 comments · 8 Years

Sounds a lot like charging McDonald's for reserving their in-store menu boards to themselves and not allowing other food vendors to use it...

gatorguy 24615 comments · 13 Years

rob53 said:

The EU can take a hike! Apple can reserve NFC for itself, they don't have to provide that capability to anyone else. The EU has no grounds to tell a company that it has to make anything that company creates available to everyone. I can create a product that only I am allowed to use and no government can tell me I am required to allow others to use it. The EU is turning into a dictatorship.

Despite your proclamations of doing whatever you wish with something you create, the EU can assert rules and apply antitrust law if they believe your "control over your creation" to be an anticompetitive action and they can prove it. The "EU taking a hike" is unrealistic.

I don't agree with some of the controls (and fines) the EU is applying to Apple and others among their US tech brethen, but it should be totally clear to you and everyone else it's within their power to do so.