Being turned away from a 15 or 18-rated movie due to a lack of proper identification may be a thing of the past.
The UK Cinema Association, which comprises Cineworld, Odeon, Showcase Cinemas, and Vue, has teamed up with Yoti, a digital ID company.
The free app will be recognized as evidence of age, making it a safe and easy method to prove your age. It is believed that the action would also address abuse directed at cinema employees.
Yoti uses the same technology that is used at airports to scan your passport and take a picture of your face.
To use the Yoti ID, children will need a smartphone to download the free app and enter information from their passport as well as a recent image.
The digital ID card will then display a picture that has been age-verified, which the cinema personnel can approve.
“Of the 165 million to 170 million admissions per year UK theatres were witnessing pre-pandemic, roughly 30% fall within the 15-24-year-old bracket and around 20% fall within the 9-14-year-old bracket,” said Phil Clapp, CEO of the UK Cinema Association.
Abuse Against Cinema Staff
It is thought that having a digital ID will relieve staff pressure when conducting age checks.
Cineworld’s vice-president of operations, Shaun Jones, told the BBC: “Unfortunately, abuse towards our personnel occurs more frequently than you might think – not only from children but also from parents.
“When asked for their children’s identification, parents are frustrated and angry, and they refuse to allow them to take it out of the house.
“We’re hoping that Yoti’s digital ID technology would significantly reduce employee exploitation.”
