Government invites retailers to trial new age verification technology

The government has urged on and off licenced retailers, bars and restaurants to put forward proposals to trial new technology when carrying out age verification checks.

The call for proposals has been launched by the Home Office and the Office for Product Safety and Standards, and retailers who are successful will be able to pilot new technology to improve the process of ID check during the sale of alcohol and other age restricted items.

“Having a robust age verification system is absolutely critical in preventing the sale of alcohol to children and the harm under-age drinking causes,” Home Office minister Baroness Williams of Trafford said.

“These pilots will allow us to explore how new technology can improve the experience of buying and selling alcohol, both for the consumer and the retailer.”

Applicants can suggest products to trial within their proposals, but the Home Office said that the technology that may potentially be tested include a holographic or ultraviolet identification feature on a mobile phone.

Retailers will be able to submit applications online on GOV.UK and will be required to provide detail on how the technology works and how they plan to test it.

The government said the pilots will allow a wide range of digital age verification technology to be tested, and the findings will be used to understand the impact of this technology and inform future policy, as part of the government’s ambition to create an innovative digital economy.

Currently, it is not possible to use a digital ID as proof of age for the purchase of alcohol in England and Wales.

However, retailers will still be required to carry out physical age verification checks alongside any digital technology in line with the current law, which requires a physical identification card with a holographic mark or ultraviolet feature upon request in the sale of alcohol.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards will be hosting a series of webinars over the next two months to assist members of the industry in drafting their proposals.

Trials by successful applicants will begin in the summer and must be completed by April 2022. Submissions close on 31 May and successful applicants be notified by 2 July.