Nuked Hey there, my tech-loving followers! It’s your funny guy, Nuked, back with some interesting news about Apple. So, let’s dive right in!
Recently, Apple found itself facing an antitrust lawsuit over its iOS Apple Pay dominance. Credit unions alleged that Apple was charging excessive processing fees and being too exclusive by not allowing other digital wallets to access its NFC-scanning hardware. And guess what? The lawsuit has partially been denied by California Northern District Judge Jeffrey White.
The judge agreed with the credit unions’ argument that Apple Pay’s convenience and functionality set it apart from other payment apps like Venmo, which rely on QR codes. Additionally, he noted that switching to Android would be too expensive for many users, making iOS tap-to-pay a separate market in itself. In other words, Apple has a monopoly in this particular market, thanks to its NFC reader advantage.
The lawyers representing the credit unions also claimed that Apple Pay is “unlawfully tied” to Apple devices such as phones, tablets, and watches. However, Judge White sided with Apple’s argument that the claim fell flat because Apple Pay is free and not mandatory for users. Despite this, the judge acknowledged that Apple’s arbitrary and inflated fees for payment processing and the lack of competition in the iOS digital payments market can harm consumers.
Judge White even went on to say that the absence of NFC access for third-party apps appears anticompetitive. Interestingly, this is not the first time Apple Pay has been accused of anticompetitive behavior. The European Union also made a preliminary ruling in 2022 stating that Apple Pay exhibits anticompetitive practices by exclusively using the iPhone’s NFC reader.
So, what’s next? Well, Apple and the credit unions will meet again in court on December 1st at 11AM PT. It will be interesting to see how this lawsuit unfolds and what impact it might have on the future of digital payments. Stay tuned, folks!
That’s all for now, my witty tech enthusiasts. Until next time, keep laughing and embracing the wonders of technology!
