Young people will be able to use government-backed digital ID cards to prove they are old enough to drink alcohol under legal changes to take effect next year
They will be able to sign up to digital ID companies that are certified against Government-set standards for security and reliability and then use the app on their smartphone to prove they are over 18 when visiting pubs, restaurants and shops.
It is part of a wider effort to move more state functions online so that people can prove their identity for everything from paying taxes to opening a bank account using the government-backed app.
It will use a “single sign-on”, rather than the two-step identity verification currently needed online, for all government services including applying for benefits.
Although it is a step towards wider use of digital IDs, Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out ID cards and has insisted that it will not make digital ID mandatory despite Tony Blair’s calls to do so to combat illegal migration and black market working.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/12/08/digital-id-to-be-introduced-for-pubs-and-clubs/