UK Proposes New Ways to Help Apple Pay Rivals

The UK's competition regulator has proposed changes to make it easier and cheaper for companies to offer alternatives to Apple Pay on the iPhone (via Reuters). The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says Apple's fees and restrictions make it too difficult for rivals to launch contactless payment apps. Its proposals would give developers more ways to access the iPhone's NFC technology, which allows users to pay by holding their device near a payment terminal. Apple opened up NFC access to developers in the UK in 2024, but companies must sign an agreement with Apple and pay fees. They also . . .