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Company

NFC

Filtered to Legal & Lawsuits ×
94 articles stable

Apple’s 2024 agreement to open iPhone NFC access to third-party wallet developers shifted coverage from payments adoption to platform-control scrutiny.

Who they are

NFC appears in the coverage as the contactless technology underpinning mobile payments, wallet apps, transit payments and hardware authentication. Its stories are chiefly about how Apple governs iPhone access to the technology, while Android and device launches frame NFC as a competing handset capability.

The recent arc

Coverage reached its recent high in 2024Q3 after a regulatory-driven shift that began in 2024Q1. The U.S. DOJ’s March suit alleged that Apple blocked competitors from iPhone features, while the EU settlement reported in July required Apple to open NFC access on iOS to third-party wallet developers for a decade; Apple then said iOS 18.1 would let developers conduct NFC transactions through the Secure Element outside Apple Pay and Wallet, with associated fees.

The subsequent stories moved from remedy to implementation and geographic follow-through. Vipps launched an Apple Pay alternative on iOS in Norway after the opening, Switzerland began examining Apple’s third-party NFC terms in late 2025, and the UK CMA proposed in June 2026 that Apple open NFC while also pressing Apple and Google on payment steering. Separately, Nothing’s CMF Phone 1 was criticized for lacking NFC, while the CMF Phone 2 Pro included it, showing that baseline device support remains part of the coverage.

The tension

The central tension is whether NFC on the iPhone remains an Apple Pay-controlled gateway or becomes infrastructure that independent wallets can use. Apple’s commitments to the EU, the DOJ’s allegations, and the UK CMA and Swiss scrutiny all focus on the terms of access, while Google’s statement that it had already changed steering practices highlights the broader competitive pressure around mobile payments rather than NFC hardware alone.

Why it matters

If access commitments translate into workable technical and commercial terms, NFC could support more wallet and transit-payment choices on iOS, as Vipps’ launch suggests. But ongoing scrutiny of Apple’s terms and fees means the practical openness of the platform remains unsettled; the next phase of coverage is likely to hinge on whether regulators and third-party developers view those terms as sufficient.

NFC has appeared in 94 articles since 2014-12. Coverage peaked in 2024Q3 with 5 articles. Frequently mentioned alongside Apple, Apple Pay, iPhone, Google.

Articles
94
mentions
Velocity
0.0%
growth rate
Acceleration
0.000
velocity change
Sources
33
publications

Coverage Timeline

2025-12-12
MacRumors 7 related

Switzerland launches a preliminary investigation into whether Apple's terms for granting third-party access to NFC tech on iPhones violate its antitrust laws

Switzerland's competition authority has launched a preliminary investigation into whether Apple's terms for granting third-party access …

2024-07-12
Bloomberg 55 related

Apple settles with the EU over Apple Pay and avoids potential fines by agreeing to open NFC access on iOS to third-party wallet developers for free for a decade

2024-07-11
Bloomberg 49 related

Apple settles with the EU over Apple Pay and avoids potential fines by agreeing to open NFC access on iOS to third-party wallet developers for free for a decade

- EU accepts Apple pledge to open up payment tech to rivals  — Firm still faces mounting EU antitrust scrutiny in other areas

2024-03-22
Wall Street Journal 72 related

The US DOJ sues Apple, alleging the company blocked its competitors from accessing iPhone features, made switching to non-Apple devices more difficult, and more

In 2010, a top Apple executive emailed Apple's then-CEO about an ad for the new Kindle e-reader. TechCrunch : TechCrunch Minute: Breaking down the Apple iPhone antitrust lawsuit from the DOJ CNBC : DO...

2022-07-20
Bloomberg 24 related

Affinity Credit Union files a proposed class-action complaint in California accusing Apple of illegally profiting from payment card issuer fees via Apple Pay

but jury is out on ultimate assignment Rida Imran / iThinkDifferent : Apple accused of blocking third-party mobile wallets from using ‘Tap to Pay’ payment on iOS Brandon Vigliarolo / The Register : Ap...

2022-05-03
Bloomberg 15 related

Sources: PayPal and others made informal complaints about Apple's NFC restrictions to the European Commission, spurring the EU's formal antitrust complaint

PayPal Holdings Inc. helped spur a formal antitrust complaint against Apple Inc. and its iPhone payments system by raising concerns …

2022-04-28
Financial Times 3 related

Sources: the EU will file antitrust charges against Apple next week for allegedly blocking third-parties from using NFC for Apple Pay

EU will accuse the tech giant of blocking financial groups from its Apple Pay mobile system  —  Apple is set to face fresh antitrust charges …

2017-04-01
Financial Review 19 related

Australia's competition regulator the ACCC rejects application by four banks to collectively negotiate with Apple over NFC, and boycott Apple Pay

The competition watchdog has ruled that four … Chris Keall / National Business Review : Banks lose fight over Apple Pay Tweets: Graham / @greyham : No surprise, Aussie banks request to collectively ba...

2017-03-31
Financial Review 18 related

Australia's competition regulator the ACCC rejects application by four banks to collectively negotiate with Apple over NFC, and boycott Apple Pay

The competition regulator has rejected an application by the banks to collectively negotiate with technology giant Apple over access to the iPhone's …

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Quarterly Coverage

Top Sources

Narrative

TEXXR tracks 78 tech news articles mentioning NFC, dating back to December 2014. The biggest stories include Apple settles with the EU over Apple Pay and avoids potential fines by agreeing to open... and Apple settles with the EU over Apple Pay and avoids potential fines by agreeing to open.... Frequently covered alongside Apple, Apple Pay, iPhone, Samsung, and Google. Coverage has shifted toward developer, consumer themes and away from competition, regulation.

Key Moments

2024Q3safety -33pts; developer +80pts; consumer +47pts
2024Q4developer +20pts; consumer +20pts; research -20pts
2025Q4safety +100pts; developer -100pts; regulation +100pts

Relationships

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