The UK government is preparing to introduce a two-step identification process for online knife purchases, aiming to strengthen regulations and prevent underage access to dangerous weapons.
The initiative comes in response to the Southport knife attack, where 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana purchased a knife from Amazon despite existing laws prohibiting sales to individuals under 18.
Under the proposed measures, online retailers will be required to verify a customer’s age using a valid form of identification, such as a passport, and conduct live video verification to confirm the buyer’s identity.
Currently, platforms like Amazon only request a date of birth and claim that proof of age is checked upon delivery.
Commander Stephen Clayman, who is leading a review of online knife sales, described these enhanced ID checks as part of a larger strategy to combat knife crime, which has risen by 54% in England and Wales since 2016.
The government has set an ambitious goal to halve knife crime over the next decade and has introduced penalties for tech company executives who fail to curb illegal knife sales on their platforms.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer underscored the urgency of these reforms, stating that it remains far too easy for children to purchase dangerous knives online. He urged the use of technology to implement robust age-verification systems for all knife orders.
