The European Commission has revealed it is considering a three to five year ban on the use of facial recognition technology in public areas due to growing fears over the potential abuse of the tech.

EU regulators believe the temporary ban will afford them the necessary time to manage the risks associated with the rapid rate at which the tech is being adopted.

Facial recognition, one of the fastest-growing technologies, is capable of capturing and checking peoples’ biometric data against watch lists, usually complied by police, in real-time. Often people are not aware that they are being scanned or of what happens to that data.

If the suggestion is implemented the tech would be excluded from public areas such as train stations, shopping malls and sports stadiums. Exceptions to the ban could be made for security projects as well as research and development.

The proposal was revealed in an 18-page draft of an EU commission white paper obtained by news website Euractiv, which proposes measures to strengthen existing regulations surrounding privacy and data rights.

The White paper, which is due to be completed and published towards the end of February, suggests imposing regulations on both developers and users of the tech. It urges EU countries to establish an regulator to monitor the new rules.

It is also looking at a number of options to handle the ethical and legal questions raised by the use of artificial intelligence powered technology. One measure would include asking developers to follow a voluntary ethical code, for which they would receive a gold-standard label in return.

Brexit supporters have frequently touted the EU’s caution towards the adoption of the technology as an advantage of Britain’s impenitent exit from the EU. Their argument is that over regulation could stifle innovation in the field.

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Facial recognition technology is already being trialled by the Met, South Wales and Leicestershire police to identify suspects and those on watchlists.

The use of the technology and the speed at which it is being rolled out in the UK has raised concern from civil rights organisations over a possible breach of human rights.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has urged caution over the use of what it has labelled “intrusive” technology.

A spokesman for the commission declined to comment on the leaked document, but said the commission wanted to “fully reap the benefits of artificial intelligence to enable scientific breakthrough, to preserve the leadership of EU businesses, to improve the life of every EU citizen by enhancing diagnosis and healthcare or increasing the efficiency of farming”.

The spokesman added: “To maximise the benefits and address the challenges of artificial intelligence, Europe has to act as one and will define its own way, a human way. Technology has to serve a purpose and the people. Trust and security of EU citizens will therefore be at the centre of the EU’s strategy.

“Data is the indispensable raw ingredient of AI. We thus have to unlock, exploit and make flow data generated and owned in Europe, to create wealth for our societies and opportunities for our businesses. Our industry is world leader in most innovative sectors. Europe has everything it needs to be successful.”