Dutch antitrust regulators launch probe into Apple Pay
The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets has turned a critical eye to manufacturers that limit access to any smartphone's near-field communications system.
Apple was not named directly in the probe. However, the Cupertino tech giant has a long history of being criticized for limiting access to the iPhone NFC chip, making it clear who the investigation targets.
Banks and competing financial companies worldwide have complained that by limiting access, Apple forces users to only use services compatible with Apple's own Apple Pay.
According to Bloomberg, the Dutch authority "will investigate whether limiting the payment apps' access to NFC communication reduces the users' freedom of choice," it said. If it "does establish a violation, it may result in a penalty, such as a fine."
As usual, Apple's response to the criticism is to remind both investigators and consumers that Apple Pay limits access to the NFC system for security purposes.
The probe comes at a time when Apple is facing increased scrutiny over anticompetitive behavior both at home and abroad. In October, the U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee accused Apple of holding a monopoly over the distribution of apps on iOS devices via the App Store.
Apple was not named directly in the probe. However, the Cupertino tech giant has a long history of being criticized for limiting access to the iPhone NFC chip, making it clear who the investigation targets.
Banks and competing financial companies worldwide have complained that by limiting access, Apple forces users to only use services compatible with Apple's own Apple Pay.
According to Bloomberg, the Dutch authority "will investigate whether limiting the payment apps' access to NFC communication reduces the users' freedom of choice," it said. If it "does establish a violation, it may result in a penalty, such as a fine."
As usual, Apple's response to the criticism is to remind both investigators and consumers that Apple Pay limits access to the NFC system for security purposes.
The probe comes at a time when Apple is facing increased scrutiny over anticompetitive behavior both at home and abroad. In October, the U.S. House Judiciary subcommittee accused Apple of holding a monopoly over the distribution of apps on iOS devices via the App Store.
Comments
sans a nfc chip just for countries/governments that impose this.
Read up on it at Anandtech.com or ArsTechnica.com via search on sites. AppleInsider may have an archive article on the subject as well.
It’s so secure that credit card companies and banks offer a discounted usage fee to Apple.
As in the VISA example, not even your bank knows the key. VISA does the communication with your bank directly.
If you don’t trust a company like VISA and their communicating with your bank, then you don’t have any cards at all. As far as the Secure Enclave, it is silicon that would be destructed if it is tampered with physically. Software-wise, the encryption is safer than using a card directly to pay for something.
Be happy, not cynical. ߎ栦amp;nbsp;(emoji for musical notes).
I think at the very least you will find the EU has more and better protections in place as a result of adhering to newer EU regulations.
For example, in Spain, AFAIK it has been impossible to make a signature based card authentication for years. Even though EMV allows for it.
From January next year I believe for any online payment (card based or not) you will have to confirm the payment through your bank's app on your phone.
It is extremely rare for your card to leave your possession for any purchase whatsoever. Even in restaurants, the card reader will probably be brought to your table.
Current NFC, secure enclave and banking apps on Android are plenty secure.
My wife is very riled that I can use my bank's BBVA Pay on my phone but that she can't. It's worse that her options are limited to Apple Pay which she refuses to use because Apple is obliging her to use its Pay service.
Choice should be open to everyone and if it is restricted for day to day actions, users should be duly informed prior to purchase.
Her next phone may be an Android. The XR has given her all manner of problems. The biggest of which is FaceID not adapting to her glasses. Followed by calls cutting off a few seconds into the call (recent development) Follwed by the phone switching off the speaker randomly for incoming calls. Etc.
She is a long time iPhone user.
I don't resort to name calling and I recommend that you don't either. It's quite a good feeling taking the high road.
Maybe they are secure. Some Android phones have a secure element, but some do not. Buyer beware. And those that do have different implementations that each need to be evaluated separately for their security. Where have you read an evaluation of these secure enclaves? I was unable to find any. How do you know they are secure, can you cite the report so I can read it and be happy?
Earlier this year Samsung announced its own Secure Enclave Chip called S3K250AF that it will make available to Android phone manufacturers. This chip has been evaluated against Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level 5+ which is a good claim, rivalling my trust in Apple's own word for its own Secure Element, but so far this chip is only available in the Samsung S20, I think. This puts the S20 on top of the Android pack for security, in my opinion. It's just tough to tear me away from Apple because they've had a secure element since iPhone 5, which is about 7 generations ago.
Your post is informative and agreeable, but then how do you explain devices like these which claim to be able to get the PIN for your iPhone which is the most important data item protected by the Secure Element? The iPhone PIN, or a hash of it, is stored only in the secure element, yet it seems to be retrievable.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/graykey-box-promises-to-unlock-iphones-for-police/ <--
My guess is that finding the PIN is not done by actually getting it out of the Secure Element, but by some system of guesswork. As a result only the PIN has been compromised, but that's a pretty big compromise. It would allow you to change the fingerprint used to unlock the phone, for example, but it may not compromise everything stored in there.
As for Huawei secure enclave and TEE, it has probably one of the highest security standard certifications available for mobile and covers far more than the devices themselves.
https://www.huawei.com/it/sustainability/stable-secure-network/privacy-protection
PDF:
https://www.tuvnederland.nl/assets/files/cerfiticaten/2019/11/st-hongmengv2.8.pdf
https://www.huawei.com/en/sustainability/stable-secure-network/cyber-security