UK government allows certified digital IDs for alcohol sales from 15 September
From 15 September, the UK government permits certified digital IDs for alcohol sales, a shift that could affect more than eight million existing users of Yoti and Post Office EasyID. More than 15,000 businesses had already downloaded the Yoti ID Checker app ahead of the rule change, according to the provider.
Certified digital IDs such as Yoti ID and Post Office EasyID let shoppers prove they are over 18 without necessarily sharing their address or full date of birth. Yoti has partnered with point of sale and self checkout vendors Diebold Nixdorf, Flooid, StrongPoint, Kestronics and Zebra Technologies to enable age checks through existing tills. The IDs can be presented at checkout or self-scan lanes, and the verification occurs without transmitting extra personal data to the retailer.
“The change in law to allow digital IDs for alcohol sales is a landmark moment for digital identity in the UK,” Robin Tombs, CEO, Yoti said.
“We’ve been working towards this moment since Yoti was founded in 2014 and we’re delighted to work with leading technology providers including Diebold Nixdorf, Flooid, StrongPoint, Kestronics and Zebra Technologies to make it simple for businesses to start accepting digital proof of age,” Robin Tombs, CEO, Yoti said.
Previously, proof of age for alcohol sales had to include physical security features such as holograms or ultraviolet marks. The new rules make those features optional while permitting certified digital IDs under the UK Government’s Digital Verification Services Trust Framework.
What we know
As from today (15 September), digital IDs certified under the UK Government’s Digital Verification Services Trust Framework can be used to purchase alcohol.
The businesses say Yoti and Post Office EasyID have collectively been downloaded more than eight million times in the UK, with around 170,000 new downloads each month, with a quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds have downloaded the apps.
More than 15,000 businesses had downloaded the ID Checker app ahead of the law change, according to Yoti.