Apple Agrees to Open iPhone Payment Tech in EU Antitrust Settlement

The tech giant will allow third-party mobile wallets access to NFC technology, ending a four-year investigation by the European Commission.

Apple's concessions include free access to NFC technology for third-party mobile wallets in the European Economic Area.
The agreement mandates fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory procedures for granting NFC access.
Apple will also enable features like Host Card Emulation (HCE) mode and allow users to set third-party wallets as default.
The settlement is binding for ten years and includes mechanisms for monitoring and dispute resolution.
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating similar antitrust concerns, potentially leading to broader changes.