Yoti and CitizenCard launch new UK ID card for young people

A new digital ID card is being launched by Yoti and CitizenCard in the UK to give young people a secure and affordable way to prove their identities online and in-person. The Yoti CitizenCard PASS card costs £9 (roughly US$12), and works alongside Yoti’s free biometric identity app to provide an alternative to carrying a passport as a means of identification.

Yoti cites a Google survey in which nearly 20 percent of young people said they lose an ID document at least once per year. Passports typically cost between £49 and £85 to replace, and include extensive personal data, making their loss an expensive risk to personal security.

The new card shows a name, date of birth, and photo, and includes a PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) hologram and UV mark showing its recognition by the UK’s Home Office. The card and app can be used to prove identity when purchasing cinema tickets, using public transportation, and purchasing age-restricted goods such as energy drinks, as well as for proving age and identity to businesses online, and even to log into websites without using passwords. The Yoti app allows young people to further restrict the amount of information they share, such as by displaying only the account holder’s name and that they are 13 or more years old.

The card also features a logos of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and Security Industry Authority (SIA). A number of businesses have agreed to accept it already, and businesses can integrate Yoti in a few hours, according to the announcement.

According to the announcement, the Yoti app is available free for Apple and Android phones and takes less than five minutes to set up. Users take a selfie and add an ID document with their smartphone, which is transformed into a digital identity and lets them prove their identity in seconds. Yoti uses 256-bit encryption to secure user details.

“Everyone should have a simple and secure way to prove who they are,” Yoti CEO Robin Tombs explained. “They shouldn’t miss out on accessing services just because they haven’t got a passport or driving licence. By partnering with CitizenCard we can offer people a more affordable ID which can then be used to create a secure digital identity – giving them an easier and safer way to prove who they are, and protect themselves from the growing risk of identity fraud. As a parent to teenagers myself, I’m excited about the potential this brings to families around the UK knowing that my kids have an ID that retailers and other businesses have to accept.”

In the future, Yoti plans to launch a SmartChip card, which will allow consumers to prove their identity by tapping a reader, and could potentially be used for payments.

Yoti was recently selected by the government of Jersey to provide its digital ID solution to residents of the channel island.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  ID card  |  UK  |  Yoti