British American Tobacco Introduces Facial Age Verification in Italy, Pilot Covers 119 Stores

Dec.25

British American Tobacco’s Italian unit is partnering with digital identity firm Yoti to pilot facial-scan age verification at 119 pop-up stores nationwide, aiming to supplement traditional ID checks and prevent underage purchases of tobacco and nicotine products.

Key Points

BAT Italy partners with Yoti to roll out a facial age-verification pilot.
The pilot covers 119 pop-up stores across Italy.
The system delivers only a “yes/no” age result, without storing images or identifying individuals.
The technology was previously tested in Croatia, achieving 99% age-assessment accuracy.

2Firsts, December 25, 2025 — According to Comunicati-Stampa,British American Tobacco Italia S.p.A. (BAT Italy) announced a partnership with digital identity verification company Yoti to deploy a facial-scan age-verification system aimed at strengthening underage sales prevention for tobacco and nicotine products. The pilot is currently being tested at 119 pop-up stores nationwide in Italy.

The core of the technology lies in scanning a customer’s facial data to assess whether they meet the legal purchasing age (18 or over). The system does not store facial images or identify individuals, providing only a binary “of-age / not-of-age” result, in line with the strictest data-privacy standards.

Reports indicate that the project has previously undergone pilot testing in markets including Croatia, where the age-assessment accuracy reached 99%, effectively reducing attempts by minors to purchase restricted products.

BAT Italy said the initiative represents a concrete implementation of its responsible sales policy. It is intended to complement traditional ID checks, provide additional safeguards to prevent minors from accessing tobacco and other nicotine products, and demonstrate the company’s use of modern technology to support regulatory compliance across the industry.

Cover image source: Comunicati-Stampa

References:

[1] Innovazione e tecnologia al centro della trasformazione di BAT Italia. Parte il progetto pilota dell’azienda e YOTI per la verifica dell’età tramite scansione facciale

Also Read:

[1] BAT Taps McLaren Title Win for Travel Retail Activation, Launches VELO “Champions’ Edition” Nicotine Pouches

[2] $200 Million Investment to Advance Smokeless Product Manufacturing at Reynolds

[3] Philippines’ DTI Proposes Mandatory Advertising Permits for Vape Products

[4] UK Retailers Urge Government to Include Age-Verification Tech in Tobacco and Vapes Bill

[5] Arizona’s New Law Takes Effect: Minimum Age to Purchase and Possess Tobacco Products Raised to 21

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