 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
 By Alex PIGMAN Brussels (AFP) May 2, 2022
The EU accused Apple on Monday of blocking rivals from its popular "tap-as-you-go" iPhone payment system, opening a fresh battlefront between the US tech giant and Brussels. "The preliminary conclusion that we reached today relates to mobile payments in shops, by excluding others from the game," said Margrethe Vestager, the EU's antitrust chief. "Apple has unfairly shielded its Apple Pay wallets from competition. If proven this behaviour would amount to abuse of a dominant position, which is illegal under our rules," Vestager told reporters. The European Commission, the bloc's competition watchdog, specifically charged the iPhone maker with preventing competitors trying to enter the contact-less market "from accessing the necessary hardware and software ... to the benefit of its own solution, Apple Pay". The accusation is the latest salvo against US tech giants by EU regulators, who have also taken aim at Apple's music streaming and e-book businesses. The company is also a main target of the Digital Markets Act, a landmark EU law that will prohibit Apple and other US tech giants from privileging their own services in its products and platforms. The EU's outline of the case came after the commission launched an investigation in 2020 that was fuelled by complaints from European banks that resist paying a fee to Apple in order to reach their customers via apps. The battle comes as tech giants eye personal finance as a new moneymaker, with Google, Amazon and Facebook owner Meta also seeking ways to replace credit cards or the need of carrying a wallet. Launched in 2014, Apple Pay allows iPhone or Apple Watch users to make payments at retailers by touching their devices to the same terminals currently used for credit and debit cards. - 'Many options' - The technology at the heart of concerns in the Apple Pay case is "near-field communication", or NFC, which permits devices to communicate within a very short range of each other, usually less than 10 centimetres (four inches). On iPhones, the use of NFC is blocked for payments except by Apple Pay and any company wanting to use the technology must pass through Apple for a fee. Vestager said that by restricting the access to the NFC to themselves, "this market is really not developed because it's not possible for other app developers to get access to the NFC." Apple said that its first priority was security and that the Apple Pay system offered a level playing field between all actors using its products. "Apple Pay is only one of many options available to European consumers for making payments, and has ensured equal access to NFC while setting industry-leading standards for privacy and security," the company said. "We will continue to engage with the commission to ensure European consumers have access to the payment option of their choice in a safe and secure environment," it added. There is no deadline for the EU's continued investigation. If found guilty, Apple would have to remedy its practices or face fines that could reach as high as 10 percent of annual sales. arp/dc/lth
Twitter bans ads that defy climate change science San Francisco (AFP) April 22, 2022 Twitter on Friday banned ads that deny the reality of climate change. Twitter's announcement on Earth Day came as it tries to fend off an unwanted takeover bid by billionaire Elon Musk, who has said he thinks people should be able to say pretty much whatever they want on the platform. "Misleading advertisements on Twitter that contradict the scientific consensus on climate change are prohibited, in line with our inappropriate content policy," Twitter global sustainability manager Casey Junod sa ... read more
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us. |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
Google
