EU Hearing 'Many Concerns' About Potential Anticompetitive Issues With Apple Pay

[MacRumors]

European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager today acknowledged that her department has received "many concerns" over Apple Pay and potential anticompetitive issues, noting that "people see it becomes increasingly difficult to compete in the market for easy payments," reports Reuters.

Vestager's comments come after the European Commission sent a questionnaire to a number of companies in August seeking information on whether Apple was restricting online payment options.

The questionnaire asked if companies were under a contractual obligation to enable a certain payment method and also if such contracts included conditions for integrating Apple Pay in their apps and websites.

Regulators wanted to know if Apple has rejected merchant apps as incompatible with the terms and conditions for integrating Apple Pay in their apps.

Apple touts the safety and security of Apple Pay, but critics have claimed that Apple stifles competition by locking down the NFC chip in iOS devices to only work with Apple Pay, making it difficult for other payment services to compete.

Antitrust concerns over Apple Pay are not the only issue for Apple and the EU at the moment, as the European Commission is also still dealing with Spotify's complaint that Apple's App Store unfairly disadvantages third-party app developers in favor of its own apps and services.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Article Link: EU Hearing 'Many Concerns' About Potential Anticompetitive Issues With Apple Pay

 

[Glideslope]

**** the EU.

 

[Rychiar]

I still can't even get Apple Pay to work on most sites

 

[ascender]

Apple touts the safety and security of Apple Pay, but critics have claimed that Apple stifles competition by locking down the NFC chip in iOS devices to only work with Apple Pay, making it difficult for other payment services to compete.

For me that trumps everything as we’re talking about card payments. I wonder how much take-up there would be if someone else came along with a competing payment app which could run on your iPhone? What possible advantage would they be able to give you for a start?

 

[MacLawyer]

What? Apple has a 15-16% market share in the EU. This is becoming ridiculous. Let's face it, this is a money grab.

 

[mtneer]

Easy solution - Apple just opens up the NFC chip to Samsung Pay, Walmart connect or whatever service there is out there.

 

[realtuner]

Good luck with that.

 

[TonyC28]

Vestager's comments come after the European Commission sent a questionnaire to a number of companies in August seeking information on whether Apple was restricting online payment options. Apple touts the safety and security of Apple Pay, but critics have claimed that Apple stifles competition by locking down the NFC chip in iOS devices to only work with Apple Pay, making it difficult for other payment services to compete.

Sounds like these critics don't know how Apple rolls.

 

[cube]

**** the EU.

**** monopolies.

 

[Mtmspa]

Easy solution - Apple just opens up the NFC chip to Samsung Pay, Walmart connect or whatever service there is out there.

i hope this was said in jest.

 

[H2SO4]

**** the EU.

In which case, I hope the EU give them herpes. You can't come over here and do things like play that tax dodge crap. We're not having it any more.

 

[Expos of 1969]

**** the EU.

**** Apple. (EU)

 

[thisisnotmyname]

aren't something like 80% of european mobile devices android based?

 

[calzon65]

Electronic payments and financial services (like the new Apple credit card) are big business with a lot of money to be made. It's natural that companies are going to look for a competitive edge against other companies. The EU attacked Microsoft years ago about opening up Windows to allow other browsers. Will see how this tug-of-war between government and business plays out.

 

[Khedron]

No excuse for Apple saying they are the only ones allowed to access the hardware feature.

It's anti-consumer. Though at least in this case you can understand Apple doing it out of greed. Them locking their customers out of using the bluetooth chip in HomePods to stream music is just pure spite.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

**** the EU.

**** monopolies.

So you two are in agreement then

(ducks)

 

[Stella]

Being able to use the iPhone for more than one payment method, is a benefit to the consumer. I don't see many negatives.

Better still:
Ideally, there would be one standard mobile payment method and everyone follows that, instead of dozens.

 

[mtneer]

i hope this was said in jest.

The best response Apple can give to the EU socialists is to let free market capitalism provide the answer - let the people decide which platform is the best of all.

 

[Gasu E.]

i hope this was said in jest.

Why is that a bad idea? There's no public-interest reason why buying a phone should lock you into the phone vendor's payment system.
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The best response Apple can give to the EU socialists is to let free market capitalism provide the answer - let the people decide which platform is the best of all.

I think that is what the EU is saying. Let the people decide which payment system they prefer.
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Being able to use the iPhone for more than one payment method, is a benefit to the consumer. I don't see many negatives.

Better still:
Ideally, there would be one standard mobile payment method and everyone follows that, instead of dozens.

I agree 100% with your first statement. But, why shouldn't there be competition among payment methods?

 

[kemal]

Are Apple restricting other payment systems on credit card terminals that work with Apple Pay?

 

[FloatingBones]

No excuse for Apple saying they are the only ones allowed to access the hardware feature.

It's anti-consumer. Though at least in this case you can understand Apple doing it out of greed. Them locking their customers out of using the bluetooth chip in HomePods to stream music is just pure spite.

Apple opened up NDEF Tag writing and native tag access with iOS 13. Here's the WWDC session where this was all discussed. Doesn't the EU pay attention to these developments? Do you?

 

[ksnell]

I actually somewhat agree with this. Apple needs to open up the NFC chip so it can be fully utilized.

 

[GadgetBen]

If we ever end up leaving the EU then Apple will want to do business with the UK first.

A good example of the bods within the EU keeping themselves busy chasing the Apple dollar by looking to hand out those fines.

 

[justperry]

What? Apple has a 15-16% market share in the EU. This is becoming ridiculous. Let's face it, this is a money grab.

Nope, if you do business in the EU you have to abide by the rules/laws.

Why is it that each and every time the EU investigates and/or fines companies we get comments like this...a money grab, a few billion means nothing to the EU.
The EU works differently than the USA, accept it.

 

[calzon65]

No excuse for Apple saying they are the only ones allowed to access the hardware feature.

It's anti-consumer. Though at least in this case you can understand Apple doing it out of greed. Them locking their customers out of using the bluetooth chip in HomePods to stream music is just pure spite.

Totally agree with your comment of Apple locking customers/companies out of the using their Bluetooth chip, not just HomePods but all their devices. Yea I know it's Apple's chip, but it still SUCKS.