Wire report
Digital ID comes of age as pubs and bars get go-ahead for biometric scan tech
New laws coming into force this week aim to streamline age checks although old-style plastic IDs will still be allowed Younger drinkers in England and Wales will be able to prove their age with a digital ID starting this week as new laws give pubs, off-licences, nightclubs and restaurants the right to use biometric scanning technology to check customers are over 18. Customers will be able to download software that scans their faces into their own phone to generate a QR code proving their age based on a stored proof of age. Other tech under consideration as part of the government push to digitise age verification for alcohol sales include a device which scans the veins in a drinker’s finger to verify their age. That system has not yet been approved for use. Continue reading...
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New laws coming into force this week aim to streamline age checks although old-style plastic IDs will still be allowed Younger drinkers in England and Wales will be able to prove their age with a digital ID starting this week as new laws give pubs, off-licences, nightclubs and restaurants the right to use biometric scanning technology to check customers are over 18. Customers will be able to download software that scans their faces into their own phone to generate a QR code proving their age based on a stored proof of age. Other tech under consideration as part of the government push to digitise age verification for alcohol sales include a device which scans the veins in a drinker’s finger to verify their age. That system has not yet been approved for use. Continue reading...
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What happened
According to The Guardian’s source item, Digital ID comes of age as pubs and bars get go-ahead for biometric scan tech, New laws coming into force this week aim to streamline age checks although old-style plastic IDs will still be allowed Younger drinkers in England and Wales will be able to prove their age with a digital ID starting this week as new laws give pubs, off-licences, nightclubs and restaurants the right to use biometric scanning technology to check customers are over 18. Customers will be able to download software that scans their faces into their own phone to generate a QR code proving their age based on a stored proof of age. Other tech under consideration as part of the government push to digitise age verification for alcohol sales include a device which scans the veins in a drinker’s finger to verify their age. That system has not yet been approved for use. Continue reading…
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Technology file for readers following technology, science, product policy, markets, infrastructure, and the public consequences of innovation. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-09-15T04:00:26+00:00.
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Source
Primary source: Digital ID comes of age as pubs and bars get go-ahead for biometric scan tech via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
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Source links
- Digital ID comes of age as pubs and bars get go-ahead for biometric scan techThe Guardian - 2026-09-15T04:00:26+00:00
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