Digital ID age checks could create longer queues at UK venues

New UK government rules allow licensed premises such as pubs and restaurants to accept digital ID apps as proof of age. Physical ID remains valid, and venues can choose whether to adopt the apps.

Apps including Yoti ID and Post Office EasyID may let customers show a QR code or tap a phone on a reader. Staff would no longer need to examine physical documents and calculate whether someone is at least 18. The system could also help 18- and 19-year-olds who carry their phones but may leave driving licences at home.

However, TechRadar's David Nield reports a potential problem, citing the Guardian: customers may typically have about 30 seconds between scanning their face on a phone and validating the credential with a retailer. The timing is intended to prevent underage drinkers from borrowing older friends' phones.

Nield has not tested the apps and says the process could make queues longer if every customer must complete a face scan. Poor lighting at music venues could also cause scans to fail. He suggests fingerprint scans or PIN codes might work better if available, and says offline support would be needed. The apps could eventually be useful at supermarket self-checkouts, where customers buying alcohol currently may need to wait for staff to verify that they are not under 18.