Germany: Apple may have to open NFC technology to others

A proposed German law would require Apple to enable third parties to use its near field communication (NFC) technology. If enacted, the rule would require operators of electronic money infrastructure to offer access to other firms for a fee, Reuters reports.

It has been passed by German Parliament, but must still be approved by its upper house, and would take effect in early 2020, according to Engadget. The law should directly impact Apple Pay because Apple doesn’t currently enable other companies to use the iPhone’s and Apple Watch’s NFC technology, which allows the mobile wallet to facilitate contactless payments.

Apple is claiming that the law could weaken data protection, security of financial information, and user friendliness, per Finextra. These concerns may stem from the risks of unknown and potentially unvetted firms accessing Apple devices’ NFC technology and attempting to steal consumers’ information or not protecting that data appropriately. However, Android devices already offer third parties access to their NFC technology, so this may be a problem that can be addressed.

Full Content: Reuters, Engadget

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