Third-party developers of apps for the US have been denied access to contactless payments technologies by US tech giant, according to EU arguments
The EU Commission issued a Statement of Objections to Apple on Monday over the US tech giant’s supposedly abusive practices in the field of mobile wallets technology. It has used its own funds. “dominant position”The document states that the market is to prohibit third-party service providers from accessing hardware and software on devices supporting contactless payment.
“We have indications that Apple restricted third-party access to key technology necessary to develop rival mobile wallet solutions on Apple’s devices,” the EU Commission’s competition policy head, Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, said, adding that the EU had preliminary data suggesting the US company might have restricted competition to benefit Apple Pay.
“If confirmed, such a conduct would be illegal under our competition rules,”Vestager warned.
Continue reading
Amazon and Apple are fined over secret deals
Near-field communication technology, also known as NFC or near field communication technology, is a combination of hardware and software that allows for interaction with retail payment terminals and facilitates purchase with just a tap. The European regulators have ruled that Apple blocks PayPal and similar services from being accessed on iPhones and Apple Watches.
Apple can now respond to or contest this assessment, before final judgement is made. Apple can also be penalized up to 10% of global revenues if it does not reach an agreement with the EU. This could amount to $36 billion.
Company has not yet admitted any wrongdoing. “Apple Pay is only one of many options available to European consumers for making payments, and has ensured equal access to NFC while setting industry-leading standards for privacy and security,”It stated in Monday’s statement that it will continue working with the EU Commission.
In turn, the EU has stated that the Statement of Objections is invalid. “does not prejudge the outcome of an investigation.”
Continue reading
Germany’s anti-monopoly watchdog opens probe against Apple
It isn’t the first time that the US tech firm has been accused of antitrust violations in the EU. Similar charges were brought against the EU last year by the bloc following complaints from Spotify and other services regarding the 30% commission Apple places on purchases that are made within the app-enabled apps. This case remains pending.
In November 2021, Italy fined Apple and Amazon some $230 million over what it called anti-competitive cooperation in sales on Amazon’s Italian platform. According to Italy’s national antitrust authority, the two tech titans reached a 2018 deal that allowed certain resellers to offer Beats accessories and Apple products on Amazon. This affected completion and price.
In June 2021, Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) launched a probe into the Apple Store’s operations, arguing it “empowers Apple to influence the operations of third parties.”
