Apple is on the verge of allowing software developers in the European Union to employ its tap-to-pay technology, potentially ending a protracted legal dispute. According to a Reuters report, EU regulators are poised to approve Apple’s proposal to liberalise its payment system as soon as next month, thereby concluding a legal confrontation that has lasted two years.
Back in 2022, the European Commission levelled serious allegations against Apple. It accused the tech giant of misusing its dominant market position in mobile wallets by preventing third-party payment applications from accessing the iPhone’s NFC (near-field communication) hardware. This action was seen as a way to favour its own payment solution, Apple Pay.
Earlier in the year, the European Commission disclosed that Apple had agreed to let third-party payment providers use the iPhone’s NFC capabilities freely. Apple’s proposal also includes provisions for developers to integrate Face ID for user authentication and enables iPhone users to set third-party apps as their default payment options, as per the Reuters report.
The approval of Apple’s offer is anticipated in May, although the Commission has requested some modifications to the initial proposal. If given the green light, this agreement would be valid for a decade. However, it remains uncertain whether these changes would apply beyond the EU, as Apple has not yet confirmed plans to extend NFC access to developers in other regions.
