New laws coming into force this week will enable younger drinkers in England and Wales to prove their age using a digital ID. Pubs, off-licences, nightclubs, and restaurants will now have the right to use biometric scanning technology to verify customers are over 18.
Customers can download software to their phones that scans their faces to generate a QR code, which proves their age based on a stored proof of age. This digital ID system, provided by private companies, is not mandatory, and existing plastic driving licences and passports will continue to be accepted.
Digital government minister Stephanie Peacock stated that this change means individuals will not need to carry physical ID or hand over sensitive personal information to prove their age. The government anticipates the new system will reduce the effectiveness of fraudulent IDs and the risk of sensitive data exposure.
Different companies, such as Yoti and Luciditi, are supplying the apps. Yoti estimates that approximately a quarter of 18- to 25-year-olds in the UK have already downloaded its digital ID app or EasyID, which it provides with the Post Office.