- Earlier this year, Apple opened up the iPhone’s NFC chip to third-party contactless payment services in the EU to comply with the DMA.
- Following some extensive evaluation, the EU is reportedly happy with Apple’s NFC-related changes, and the probe will likely be settled soon.
- Apple has reportedly committed to maintaining the NFC chip’s openness for a decade.
A few months ago, Apple rolled out iOS 17.4 with some major, EU-exclusive features to comply with the Digital Markets Acts (DMA). While that iOS update‘s highlight was support for third-party app stores, Apple implemented some other changes to dodge the EU’s hefty fines. These include opening up the iPhone’s NFC chip to third-party contactless payment platforms. After investigating Apple’s NFC-related changes, the EU is reportedly happy with the company’s execution.
According to a report by the Financial Times, the EU is satisfied with the iPhone’s NFC-related changes, and it’s expected to settle the relevant probe soon. By opening up the chip to EU-based third parties, Apple has dodged a significant fine that could’ve amounted to 10% of its annual revenue — around $40 billion. The iPhone maker has also pledged to maintain these particular changes for a decade.