Apple’s ‘Tap-and-Go’ NFC Gets EU Approval After the iPhone Maker Agrees to Open It to Third-Party Apps

Apple has till July 25 to implement all the suggested changes by the EU for the NFC approval to stand valid.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Manas Mitul | Updated: 12 July 2024 18:50 IST

Apple’s ‘Tap-and-Go’ NFC Gets EU Approval After the iPhone Maker Agrees to Open It to Third-Party Apps

Photo Credit: Reuters

With the approval, Apple will be able to offer its tap-and-go NFC features to users in Europe

Highlights

EU had raised objections over Apple’s NFC practices in 2022
EU found Apple to be in violation of Article 102 of the TFEU
Apple has agreed to the suggested changes for the next ten years

Apple received approval for its Near Field Communication (NFC) technology in Europe on Thursday. The European Union (EU) formally announced the approval after the Cupertino-based tech giant agreed to make changes that were suggested by the bloc. The company first applied for approval in 2022, however, the EU expressed concerns due to Apple's monopoly over the technology and refusal to allow third-party apps to access NFC. The iPhone maker now has till July 25 to implement the agreed-upon changes and keep it intact for the next ten years, as a part of the approval process.

EU Approves Apple's NFC Usage in Europe

In a press release, the EU said, “The European Commission has made commitments offered by Apple legally binding under EU antitrust rules. The commitments address the Commission's competition concerns relating to Apple's refusal to grant rivals access to a standard technology used for contactless payments with iPhones in stores (‘Near-Field-Communication (NFC)' or ‘tap and go').”

In 2022, the tech giant applied for the approval of its NFC technology. However, at the time, it only made the hardware and supporting software available to its native Apple Wallet and Apple Pay apps. During its investigation, the Commission found Apple to violate Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TEFU).

[Sponsored] Samsung Galaxy S24: The Ultimate Camera Phone With Smarter On-Device AI

The article prohibits the abuse of a company's dominant position in the market and attempts to monopolise said position. EU found that Apple's refusal to allow third-party wallet apps to access NFC could lead to less innovation and choice for iPhone wallet users.

Addressing the concerns, Apple has now committed to several changes by the Commission, and as a result, it has received the approval. The most important commitment made by the company is the decision to allow “third-party wallet providers access to the NFC input on iOS devices free of charge, without having to use Apple Pay or Apple Wallet.”

Apple will also apply a fair, objective, transparent and non-discriminatory procedure and eligibility criteria to give access to NFC to third-party app developers. Further, the iPhone maker has also agreed to establish separate monitoring mechanisms and dispute settlement systems to independently review Apple's decision to restrict access.

These commitments will not only apply to all the 30 countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) but also to all the iOS users with an Apple ID registered in the area who travel outside temporarily.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Apple, NFC, Europe, EU

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Senior Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More