The United Kingdom government has proposed amending the Licensing Act, which controls the sale of alcohol, in an effort to address concerns regarding the age verification of buyers. The new approach suggests allowing the use of technology to confirm the buyer’s age, in addition to simply checking their government-issued identification.
The first approach involves utilizing digital identification cards that are currently under development. This would enable alcohol buyers to verify their age through alternative means instead of physically presenting their ID documents.
The second approach involves leveraging age estimation technology to assist in the decision-making process of alcohol sales. With numerous facial recognition software systems available today, this technology can be integrated to determine a buyer’s approximate age.
The proposed changes have raised various questions and considerations in relation to the legal framework. For instance, should artificial intelligence have the authority to permit sales based on a certain age range? Alternatively, should the responsibility lie with the seller to make the final decision, even if an age estimation system is in place?
TLDR: The UK government aims to amend the Licensing Act to incorporate technology-driven age verification methods for alcohol sales. Proposed approaches include digital ID cards and age estimation technology. However, questions remain regarding the role of artificial intelligence and the decision-making authority of sellers. Source: Gov.uk.
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