European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager initiated an investigation into Apple last June.
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This focused on NFC technology, which enables payments by attaching an iPhone, the conditions for using Apple Pay’s mobile payment service in apps and merchant websites, and Apple’s refusal to give competitors access to its payment system.
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Since then, the EC has focused its attention only on NFC technology, to which only Apple Pay has access, one source said.
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The commission is now preparing a statement of objections that it could send to Apple next year, he added. This document usually lists practices that, according to the regulator, distort competition.
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The popularity of NFC chip payments increased, among other things, during the covidu-19 pandemic. According to some analysts, Apple Pay gives the American company a competitive advantage. She justifies her approach by protecting privacy and security.
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