Licensed premises across England and Wales will now have the option to accept digital proof of age when selling alcohol.
Whether buying a drink at their favourite pub, heading to a festival or enjoying a night out at a concert, customers won’t need to worry if they’ve left their ID at home — they can use their phone to prove their age.
For businesses, digital proof of age offers a way to verify a customer’s age with greater confidence than checking a physical document alone. Certified digital services check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it, which can help reduce the risk of fake or borrowed identification going undetected.
“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.”
Allen Simpson, chief executive of UKHospitality, said: “Introducing digital proof of age is a positive step for hospitality, providing greater flexibility and convenience for customers and businesses. The roll-out of the voluntary digital proof of age will provide an easier experience for customers, allowing them to verify their age securely from their phones.
However, IT expert John Pepper, chief executive and founder of Managed247, warned that while digital ID has the potential to improve the way age checks are carried out, its security will ultimately depend on how well the apps, accounts, and the wider ecosystem around it are protected.
He said: “A digital ID can contain highly valuable personal information, and criminals are increasingly interested in data that can help them impersonate someone, bypass security checks, or build a more convincing profile of an individual.
“Identity fraud remains at one of its highest levels, with criminals using stolen personal details to cause wider financial harm, so it’s really important that the technology behind these ID apps is properly secured.”
