Also, in what is a UK first, Bournemouth’s licensing board has given Yoti the green light to operate throughout its bars and clubs, making it the first city to roll out the technology across its venues.
Yoti, which launched at an event in November, is a free app for Apple and Android that helps venues verify the age of their patrons quickly and easily – an increasingly challenging task given the availability of higher-quality fake IDs.
The app asks users to create a secure digital identity by taking a selfie, which the app automatically links to a UK driving licence or passport – which can be uploaded by simply taking a photo of said documentation.
After an initial trial across a small number of its venues, Deltic has decided to roll out Yoti across all 57 of its nightclubs throughout the UK.
Tim Howard, The Deltic Group’s marketing director, commented: “Yoti will not only make checking ID quicker and therefore reduce queues, but provide improved security against fraud. We are pleased to be the first company to trial Yoti and put it through its paces, as with all new tech.”
Around 10,000 passports are lost each year on nights out according to the Identity and Passport Service (IPS), leaving people exposed to identity fraud – with a replacement passport costing £72.50.
Robin Tombs, CEO of Yoti, added: “The way we prove our identity and our age is outdated. Nightclubs across the country are seeking a reliable alternative to the traditional passport or driving licence, and the demand is there from digitally savvy customers. We’ll help venues verify the age of customers quickly and securely, while giving those customers full control over their data.”
The app uses advanced hybrid encryption to secure details and put users in control of their data. Yoti cannot sell people’s data to third parties because of private encryption keys secured to each device.