Pubs in England and Wales to allow digital ID apps to prove age

Alcohol buyers will be able to use a digital ID app on their phones to prove their age under new rules introduced on Tuesday.

Pubs and shops in England and Wales can use the tech in addition to current physical forms of ID - with the government saying a digital option will make age-checks quicker and more secure for customers and staff.

Customers will be able to choose ID apps from a range of suppliers such as the Post Office, Yoti or Luciditi, provided they are on a government-approved list.

The change means businesses will no longer be required to let people use physical ID, but the government contends most establishments would.

The plan will be technology-agnostic, meaning that the government is not setting out in detail how each app must work.

It argues that under the voluntary digital ID scheme, drinkers would share fewer personal details with a venue or shop - such as tapping their phone on a reader or displaying a scannable QR code rather than handing over an official document.

The apps will also need to guard against customers borrowing devices from older friends and relatives, and ensure the ID app belongs to the person using it.

Yoti's digital ID app, for example, will only let a user log in if a scan of their face matches that of the person who signed up for the app.