The
The commission accused the tech giant of restricting competition in the mobile wallet market by reserving access to near-field communication, commonly referred to as tap and go.
"This has an exclusionary effect on competitors and leads to less innovation and less choice for consumers for mobile wallets on iPhones," the commission said in a statement.
The technology facilitates communication between mobile phones and in-store payment terminals. The NFC technology is standardized, available in almost all payment terminals and is widely seen as a safer, more secure and easier system for users to navigate.
"Mobile payments play a rapidly growing role in our digital economy. It is important for the integration of European Payments markets that consumers benefit from a competitive and innovative payments landscape," the
"We have indications that
If the accusations are proven, it would infringe on Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
The commission points out that
The company now has the opportunity to respond to the list of objections.
There is no legal deadline for bringing an antitrust investigation to an end.
The accusations are separate from those made by the commission in
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