Apple is pressured by the EU to make yet another change to the iPhone،
The DMA also requires Apple to allow sideloading of third-party apps by iPhone users, although this change will likely be limited to the 27 EU member countries. Apple has always banned users from downloading apps to prevent them from accidentally installing malware on their phones. In the EU, Apple will put device owners themselves in charge of keeping infected apps off the iPhone.
While this may be the right thing to do, those who are not aware of things like malware and Trojans (not those Trojans, but a malicious application that aims to attack the victim's phone by disguising itself as a mythical Trojan) could end up having their financial accounts wiped or seeing their iPhone's performance degraded. Again, side loading will be limited to the 27 EU member countries.
The latest pressure from the EU has forced Apple to announce that it will open the NFC technology built into the iPhone to third-party payment platforms. This will allow third-party companies in the 27 EU countries to offer contactless payment to iPhone users, becoming competition for Apple Pay.
This morning, Apple said The Wall Street Journal“As part of our ongoing discussions with the European Commission, we are committed to providing third-party developers in the European Economic Area with an option that will allow their users to make NFC contactless payments from their iOS apps , separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.”
Similar to its sideloading plans, Apple is expected to allow third-party NFC contactless payment systems to have iPhone support in the EU only. Apple's statement makes it clear that third-party mobile payment services will not be part of the Wallet app or Apple Pay.
Apple will have to allow access to the NFC technology integrated into the iPhone for 10 years, with a fine estimated at 10% of the company's global turnover which will weigh on its head in the event of non-compliance. In Apple's case, based on fiscal 2023 revenue, that would amount to a hefty penalty of $38.3 billion.
