Brits to get virtual IDs ‘soon' with promise of buying booze using nothing but their phone – exactly how it works
Google has revealed that it is in talks with the Government about a way to store a digital copy of your passport on Android devices for alcohol purchases and other products requiring age verification.
Advertisement
2
Google is adding support for railcards in the UK first
Credit: Google
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle announced in December that digital IDs will finally be available in the UK this year meaning pub-goers no longer need to carry a wallet.
In the first step toward digital ID, Google has announced that Brits will "soon" have the ability to verify their age for train railcards.
Train travellers will be able to confirm they're the right age for passes such as the 15-25 railcard or 26-30 railcard.
It will work by using a UK passport within the Google Wallet app.
Advertisement
Read more about Google
"
Residents of the United Kingdom will soon be able to create digital ID passes with their U.K. passports and securely and conveniently store them in Google Wallet," the company said.
"At launch, we're partnering with Rail Delivery Group, which will offer train travellers the opportunity to use their digital ID to verify that they meet the eligibility criteria for select Railcards on its Railcard retailing platform
railcard.co.uk
.
"
We're also exploring certification within the digital identity trust framework of the
U.K.'s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
, which could allow residents to use their Google Wallet ID passes for alcohol purchases and more.
"
The Government is also
Advertisement
Most read in Tech
Breaking
Exclusive
It will include a picture, licence number, name and whether or not the owner is over 18.
The Government's digital wallet will be able to hold multiple documents - including
Digital driving licences to be introduced this year on a new smartphone app that will store government-issued virtual documents
Digital IDs from Google and Apple have been available in some states of the US for sometime now.
Google said it is preparing to add
to the list next.
Advertisement
2
What the Government's digital ID app is set to look like
Credit: @SciTechgovuk / X
How the Google Wallet digital ID works
With Google Wallet, government-issued ID appears alongside your bank cards.
When adding it to the app, you have to scan the front and the back of your ID so Google can check it's valid.
You need to take a brief video to confirm it belongs to you.
Google then needs to prepare and send your application to the ID issuer which can take a few minutes to be approved.
You receive a notification when the ID card has been approved and is ready to use.
Steps may vary slightly for Brits as Google will have to comply with UK rules.
The Government here has set up a digital identity trust framework that companies like Google will have to get a certificate for to be allowed to facilitate digital IDs.
Image credit: Getty
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Protesters call on Central Bank not to renew Israel bonds
Protesters have urged the Central Bank of Ireland not to proceed with the approval for the sale of Israel bonds in advance of an upcoming renewal date. About 100 demonstrators gathered outside the Central Bank in Dublin on Tuesday to demand an end to the authority's role in approving Israel bonds for sale in the EU, for the Government to include services in the Occupied Territories Bill and to pass that legislation. The bank is the designated authority in relation to the sale of Israel bonds in the EU, and has determined the securities meet the standards of the union's prospectus regulations. Israel bonds have been advertised as supporting the country's economy and, more recently, websites promoting the securities emphasise their role in supporting Israel's military operations in Gaza. READ MORE Protesters and Opposition parties have called for legislation that would give Ireland the power to refuse the sale of Israeli 'war bonds' over human rights concerns. They say the bonds are intended to fund the war in Gaza, while Ireland has an obligation under the Genocide Convention to use all means likely to have a deterrent effect on those suspected of preparing genocide. The Central Bank has said regulations require it to approve prospectuses that meet standards of completeness, consistency and comprehensibility. The Israel bond prospectus is up for renewal on September 2nd. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance has recommended that the bank carry out an immediate review before renewing approval of the bonds. David Landy of Jews for Palestine and Academics for Palestine outside the Central Bank in Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire Meanwhile, Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has launched legal proceedings against the Central Bank over claims that investors in Israeli bonds could be legally complicit in genocide in Gaza. It is alleged that the Central Bank's failure to ban the marketing, distribution and sale of Israel bonds exposes investors to risks that have not been disclosed to them. [ Lobby other EU countries to allow Irish Central Bank to drop Israeli war bonds, TDs recommend Opens in new window ] Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign chairwoman Zoe Lawlor said: 'The Government has to end the direct involvement of the Central Bank in apartheid Israel's sale of genocide-funding bonds. 'The Central Bank is an organ of this State, and its complicity in genocide makes Ireland complicit.' David Landy of Jews for Palestine, and Academics for Palestine, said: 'We are asking the Central Bank to do the absolute minimum required of it under law – to end the sale of Israeli war bonds, to finally end this direct Irish participation in Israeli genocide.' Sinn Féin's foreign affairs spokesman said the Irish Government 'must use every lever at its disposal' to show leadership on Gaza. Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said: 'Clearly, ending the facilitation of Israeli war bonds is one of those.' He added: 'The people of Gaza and of Palestine need us to act.'
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Over 150 vacant pubs converted to homes since 2022
The Department of Housing has received 154 notifications of the conversion of vacant pubs into residential homes since 2022, figures from the department have shown. In 2018, the Government introduced planning exemptions to remove the requirement for planning permission to convert certain properties to residential units. This exemption was extended in 2022 to allow vacant pubs to be converted into homes. The department has said the 154 notifications had the potential to create 459 new homes. Co Mayo received the highest number of pub exemptions with 18 which equated to 40 homes, the department said. In total, 1,457 notifications to convert vacant commercial properties into residential units were received from 2018 to 2024, with the department saying these had the potential to create 3,429 new homes. There were 30,635 vacant commercial units across the country as of June 2024, according to a GeoDirectory Commercial Buildings Report. A study commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland earlier this year estimated that an average of 112 pubs stopped trading every year over the last 20 years. Minister for Housing James Browne said transforming premises such as former pubs is "a practical community-focused solution which as well as streamlining the planning process, makes efficient use of existing infrastructure and services". "This measure not only boosts the supply of homes, but also our Town Centre First Policy which is breathing new life into our villages, towns and cities by supporting regeneration and more vibrant, sustainable communities across the country," he said. Mayo had highest number of former pubs converted Of the 154 former pubs converted from 2022 to 2024, Mayo had the highest number with 18, followed by Limerick and then 10 by Cork county. The Director of Services at Mayo County Council, Tom Gilligan, said they have had up to 50 or 60 applications, but not just for pubs. Speaking on RTÉ's News At One, he said there was a significant amendment in 2018 which removed the requirement for planning permission when converting a former pub into residential use, provided certain conditions are met. He said this was to help simplify the process, cut down on costs and time delays, and give property owners more certainty. It helped unlock the pathway for underused and closed pubs to be quickly repurposed into homes. Mr Gilligan outlined what needs to be done, saying: "You do have to fill out an application form to the local authority, a change of use from from commercial to residential and there is a minimum of two weeks' notice required to be furnished to the planning authority prior to the commencement of works. "Floor areas must comply with current design standards for new apartments and also natural light must serve each living room bedroom of the building. "There are a number of things you still have to do, but the main thing is that you have to notify the local authority a minimum of two weeks that you're actually going to commence the works." Mr Gilligan said there is scope for the policy to be expanded to include more commercial properties. "There was a report commissioned by the drinks Industry Group of Ireland that did show a continuing decline in the number of pubs in Ireland with 2,119, or one in four, closing their doors since 2005." In Mayo alone, 135 pubs have closed since 2005. That is a decline of 28.9%. An average of 112 pubs have stopped trading in Ireland every year. There is an estimated 600 to 1,000 closures estimated over the next 10 years, he said. "We are seeing the decline in the drinks/pub industry. A lot of these pubs are in town and village centres where people want to live." "Apart from the housing need, which this is helping to meet, it's also helping to breathe new life into our communities, help rejuvenate the town centres and that's very important as well. It would be great to see further expansion of the scheme and a continuation of it, because there's a lot more to do," he added.
RTÉ News
5 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Americans fear AI permanently displacing workers, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
Americans are deeply concerned over the prospect that advances in artificial intelligence could put swaths of the country out of work permanently, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The six-day poll, which concluded on Monday, showed 71% of respondents said they were concerned that AI will be "putting too many people out of work permanently." The new technology burst into the national conversation in late 2022 when OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot launched and became the fastest-growing application of all time, with tech heavyweights like Facebook owner Meta Platforms, Google owner Alphabet and Microsoft offering their own AI products. While at present there are few signs of mass unemployment - the US jobless rate was just 4.2% in July - artificial intelligence is stirring concerns as it reshapes jobs, industries and day-to-day life. Some 77% of respondents to the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they worried the technology could be used to stir up political chaos, a sign of unease over the now-common use of AI technology to create realistic videos of imaginary events. President Donald Trump last month posted on social media an AI-generated video of former Democratic president Barack Obama being arrested, an event that never happened. Americans are also leery about military applications for AI, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. Some 48% of respondents said the government should never use AI to determine the target of a military strike, compared with 24% who said the government should allow that sort of use of the technology. Another 28% said they were not sure. The general enthusiasm for AI shown by many people and companies has fueled further investments, such as Foxconn and SoftBank's planned data centre equipment factory in Ohio. It has also upended national security policies as the US and China vie for AI dominance. More than half of Americans - some 61% - said they were concerned about the amount of electricity needed to power the fast-growing technology. Google said earlier this month it had signed agreements with two US electric utilities to reduce its AI data centre power consumption during times of surging demand on the grid, as energy-intensive AI use outpaces power supplies. The new technology has also come under criticism for applications that have let AI bots hold romantic conversations with children, generate false medical information and help people make racist arguments. Two-thirds of respondents in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they worried that people would ditch relationships with other people in favor of AI companions. People were split on whether AI technology will improve education. Some 36% of respondents thought it would help, while 40% disagreed and the rest were not sure. The Reuters/Ipsos survey gathered responses online from 4,446 US adults nationwide and had a margin of error of about 2 percentage points.
