New laws taking effect this week in England and Wales will allow pubs, off-licences, nightclubs and restaurants to use biometric digital ID to check that customers buying alcohol are over 18. Instead of showing a passport or driving licence, customers will be able to scan their face using an app on their phone, generating a time-limited QR code that verifies their age without revealing their name or address. The move is intended to speed up age checks and reduce the exposure of sensitive personal data, though it comes despite the government's earlier decision to scrap plans for a national digital ID amid civil liberties concerns.

The new digital ID schemes will be run by private companies, including Yoti and Luciditi, and will not be compulsory, with physical ID such as passports and driving licences still accepted. A verification code will typically last only about 30 seconds to prevent under-18s borrowing an older friend's phone, while a separate technology that scans finger veins to confirm age is also under consideration but not yet approved. Yoti estimates roughly a quarter of 18- to 25-year-olds in the UK have already downloaded its app or the Post Office's EasyID, with 8.5 million users overall, though officials expect a gradual, uneven rollout similar to the near 20-year path to widespread contactless payment adoption.