Pubs, bars, restaurants, music venues and shops will now be able to accept digital ID as proof that people buying alcohol are over 18, the Home Office has announced.
Customers can use a certified app on their phone without showing physical ID, while the venues can adopt digital ID alongside the ‘usual processes for physical ID’, the government says – ‘making age checks quicker, easier and more secure for customers and staff’.
The new method will also help to protect customers’ privacy and personal safety, the Home Office states, as the digital ID will simply confirm they are 18 or over without displaying information like their name or home address as is often shown on physical ID.
The new rules build on existing technology such as that used for online age verification. ‘It could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan or tapping their phone against a compatible reader – staff receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check,’ the government says. By checking that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person showing it, the certified digital services will also ‘help reduce the risk of fake or borrowed identification going undetected’, it adds.
‘From pubs and restaurants to music venues and festivals, licensed businesses carry out millions of age checks every year,’ said digital government minister Stephanie Peacock. ‘It will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt it, and physical ID will remain a valid way for customers to prove their age. This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age – allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out.’
‘We look forward to working with the government to ensure the roll-out of the scheme, with multiple supplier options available, is cost-efficient and not burdensome for the hospitality sector,’ added trade body UKHospitality chief executive Allen Simpson.