England and Wales introduce digital ID app option for alcohol age verification
Quick Look
The UK government has introduced new rules allowing pubs and shops in England and Wales to use government-approved digital ID apps on smartphones to verify age for alcohol purchases, offering a voluntary alternative to physical ID that aims to improve speed, security, and privacy while requiring apps to prevent device sharing and ensure user authenticity.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The UK government has introduced new rules allowing businesses in England and Wales to use government-approved digital ID apps for age verification when selling alcohol, as a voluntary alternative to physical identification documents.
Alcohol buyers will be able to use a digital ID app on their phones to prove their age under new rules introduced on Tuesday.
Pubs and shops in England and Wales can use the tech in addition to current physical forms of ID - with the government saying a digital option will make age-checks quicker and more secure for customers and staff.
Customers will be able to choose ID apps from a range of suppliers such as the Post Office, Yoti or Luciditi, provided they are on a government-approved list.
The change means businesses will no longer be required to let people use physical ID, but the government contends most establishments would.
The plan will be technology-agnostic, meaning that the government is not setting out in detail how each app must work.
It argues that under the voluntary digital ID scheme, drinkers would share fewer personal details with a venue or shop - such as tapping their phone on a reader or displaying a scannable QR code rather than handing over an official document.
The apps will also need to guard against customers borrowing devices from older friends and relatives, and ensure the ID app belongs to the person using it.
Yoti's digital ID app, for example, will only let a user log in if a scan of their face matches that of the person who signed up for the app.
The app then generates a QR code that can be scanned by a business with a free checker app, which tells them the person's age.
This is time-limited to make duping or sharing the QR code more difficult.
Digital government minister Stephanie Peacock said having the option for digital ID would "mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information" meaning people could "feel safer on a night out'".
Allen Simpson, chief executive of trade body UKHospitality, said the new rules were a "positive step".
He added the industry would work with government to make sure the scheme's roll-out would not be "burdensome" for the hospitality sector.
This would include ensuring there were multiple options for suppliers and that it was cost-efficient, Simpson said.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The digital ID scheme will see gradual adoption by businesses in England and Wales over the next 6-12 months as integration and staff training are completed.
Likely · Within months
More digital ID providers will seek government approval to join the scheme as demand from businesses and consumers grows.
Possible · Within months
Open Questions
- Which specific apps will be included on the government-approved list?
- How will the government ensure compliance and security standards across different digital ID providers?
- What measures will be in place to prevent underage individuals from accessing or using someone else's digital ID?
- How will businesses be supported in implementing the new digital verification systems?
