“Technology giant Apple’s controversial decision to order Westpac Banking Corporation to disable a mobile banking feature that let customers make payments in chat apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger has caught the attention of Australia’s competition watchdog, amid concerns it could be attempting to remove rivals to its own upcoming service,” Paul Smith reports for The Australian Financial Review.
“Last week The Australian Financial Review revealed that Apple had written to Westpac to say its three-month old Westpac Keyboard feature would no longer be allowed on iPhones, with a vague explanation that keyboards should not be used for making payments,” Smith reports. “The news came as a shock to Westpac, which said thousands of customers had been using the app feature since it was unveiled in March, and comes as Apple is preparing to launch a payments service in its own iMessage service in the soon-to-be-released iOS 11 operating system update.”
Smith reports, “Westpac was recently part of a group of institutions alongside Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, which unsuccessfully asked the ACCC to allow them to collectively bargain with Apple over access to the iPhone’s ‘near field communication’ controller for their digital wallets.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Security.
SEE ALSO:
Apple wins victory, sending warning to banks with Australian mobile payments – March 31, 2017
Australian Banks tell Apple: It’s not about your Apple Pay Fees, it’s about access to NFC – February 13, 2017
Apple Pay boss says Aussie customers willing to dump banks who fail to support Apple Pay – February 10, 2017
Apple steps up battle with Australian banks over Apple Pay boycott motive – February 6, 2017
ACCC proposes to deny authorisation for banks to collectively bargain with and boycott Apple on Apple Pay – November 29, 2016
Australian banks dismiss Android NFC past in Apple Pay negotiations – November 14, 2016
Australian banks accuse Apple of anti-competitive behavior, want access to iPhone’s NFC chip to take on Apple Pay – July 28, 2016
ANZ welcomes Apple Pay in Australia with a funny new TV ad – May 5, 2016
Apple expands Apple Pay in Australia with ANZ bank deal – April 28, 2016
Aussie consumers lose as banks effectively boycott Apple Pay – November 27, 2015
Australian banks accuse Apple of anti-competitive behavior, want access to iPhone’s NFC chip to take on Apple Pay – July 28, 2016
ANZ welcomes Apple Pay in Australia with a funny new TV ad – May 5, 2016
Apple expands Apple Pay in Australia with ANZ bank deal – April 28, 2016
MDN take…correct. Though it probably won’t wash.
Pipeline Timmy needs to challenge Westpac to Wrestlemania III.
Really not appropriate, but Tim’s fit, and would take them down. Just saying.
In an era of just say anything.
yeah, you’re right, he was dangerous bad-ass.
Those who will choose safety at the expense of freedom….
C’mon MDN, not only when it suits you?
Maybe Apple’s decision also ties in to their concerns that such payment systems like that used in WeChat in China are successfully circumventing Apple’s payment ‘border control’.
I doubt security. A bank app must be encrypted to the Nth degree and all keibosrd extensions are sandboxed. At least Apple’s move to ban the keyboard suggests they’re going to roll out Apple pay in Australia.
The Westpac keyboard does introduce security issues, as do other third party keyboards.
A warning appears when these keyboards are installed in words to the effect they could somehow take other information off your phone without you knowing. The Westpac keyboard “promises” not to do that.
Consequently, I deinstalled it.