UK cinemas embrace digital IDs for age verification
UK cinemas embrace digital IDs as the face of cinema continues to evolve with the times and get more youngsters to the big screens.
The UK Cinema Association, representing the interests of the vast majority of UK cinema operators, has today announced a partnership with digital identity provider Yoti, with participating sites now accepting the Yoti digital ID app as proof of age.
From today participating cinemas will accept the Yoti digital ID app, giving young people aged from 13 upwards a safer, more convenient way to prove their age using their smartphone – meaning that important ID documents such as passports can now be left at home.
This modern solution will also reduce the challenges many cinemas face in checking ages, as required by the current film classification system.
UK Cinema Association members join the 30,000 locations on the UK high street accepting our reusable digital ID apps
Phil Clapp, CEO at the UK Cinema Association said: “Of the 165 million to 170 million admissions per year UK cinemas were seeing pre-pandemic, around 30 per cent fall within the 15-24 year old bracket (and around 20 per cent within the 9-14 year old age group). Since cinemas re-opened last May those proportions are likely to be even higher.
For many wanting to get into a ‘15’ or even ‘18’ certificate film, proving their age – without a passport or driving licence to hand – can be incredibly difficult and an understandable source of frustration should they be turned away from the cinema. This new partnership offers a straightforward and modern way to reduce the likelihood of that happening.”
Kelly Drew, Operations Director at Cineworld said: “With an increase in recent years in the number of films classified at ‘15’ but with a broader youth appeal, the issue of proving age is becoming increasingly challenging. The introduction of the Yoti app as a trusted and robust way of checking ID will support our staff, who are often on the receiving end of any resulting customer frustration.”