The Australian government has proposed using facial recognition scans to verify the age of internet users seeking to access pornography.

Under the proposals, the faces of computer users would be matched to government-held images from official identity documents.

But the plans are unlikely to go far for now. Parliament first needs to approve a central database holding the matching biometric data. Concerns over privacy safeguards have so far blocked the relevant legislation.

The facial recognition proposals in Australia come after the UK dropped its plans earlier this month to require age-verification for online pornography, with the government citing technical gaps.

The plans in Australia are part of a move by the Department of Home Affairs to use its face verification service and document verification service across various public services and sectors of the economy too.

But the drive to gather vast amounts of personal data has raised concerns among privacy campaigners and human rights organisations.

Green Senator Nick McKim told The Telegraph the latest “bizarre proposal” for pornography would constitute “a gross breach of privacy” and “continue Australia’s slide into becoming a surveillance state”.