Convenience retailers could soon benefit from government-backed digital IDs, that will enable customers to prove their age using smartphones when purchasing alcohol.
According to reports, ministers are preparing to change the law for customers buying alcohol in shops and bars as part of the initiative to move more state functions online.
The change, expected to take effect next year, aims to streamline age verification processes, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance data privacy for both customers and retailers. It will give landlords and retailers the ability to scan digital identities to verify a customer’s age without unnecessarily disclosing personal information.
The move follows a recent consultation that revealed support for updating the Licensing Act 2003 to allow digital identities to be used for alcohol sales. Respondents also endorsed the idea that providers of digital identity services should meet stringent government-approved standards under the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework.
Reports said providers of the ID service will have to be verified by the government under the Data (Use and Access) Bill which is going through parliament. This will allow certified digital identities to join passports and driving licenses as accepted age verification methods.
While digital IDs will remain optional, their adoption is expected to modernise retail operations and enhance customer experiences.
“As the Covid passports showed during the pandemic, people are more willing to share their data if there is a demonstrable benefit to doing so. I think things have moved on from (Tony) Blair’s failed ID cards project because people now share more data than ever before as a result of the explosion in social media and the use of smartphones,” the Sunday Times quoted a senior government source as saying.
Former prime minister Tony Blair, whose government passed the Identity Cards Act 2006 creating a national identity card system, has earlier this year called for the introduction of digital ID cards, saying they could help control immigration.
But the Labour government has ruled out ID cards, with home secretary Yvette Cooper saying: “That’s not our approach.” Reports said the new digital IDs will not be mandatory.
Blair’s scheme, which faced significant criticism over privacy concerns, civil liberties, and the high cost of implementation, was later scrapped by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.
