No ID needed: Google brings private age verification to wallet

Google has rolled out a new privacy feature for its Wallet service, introducing zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology for age verification.

In a recent announcement, the company revealed that Bumble will be among the first apps to adopt the new system.

The move could be welcomed by conscious users as traditional age checks usually require you to share a government-issued ID or your full birthdate details that can put your privacy at risk. But with ZKP, users can prove they’re over a certain age (like 18+) without revealing any extra personal information.

Bumble plans to use digital IDs stored in Google Wallet to confirm a user’s identity, while ZKPs will handle age verification behind the scenes.

“We wanted to develop a system that not only verifies age, but does it in a way that protects your privacy,” Google said.

The company noted that demand for age verification tools is rising, especially on dating apps, social media, and online shopping platforms.

Google plans to expand Wallet to 50 additional countries, allowing users to access and use digital passes both in the app and on the web. While the company hasn’t specified which countries are included, it emphasized that this rollout aims to bring the security and convenience of Google Wallet to regions where tap to pay is not yet supported.