A street advert using facial recognition technology to distinguish between men and women is being launched in London this week.

People viewing the electronic outdoor ad, which will be unveiled at a bus stop on Oxford Street, will see a different message depending on whether they are male or female.

The 40-second advert was commissioned for Plan UK, a charity promoting women’s rights around the world.

While women will be able to view the entire ad, men will simply be directed to the charity’s website.

A high-definition camera will measure people’s facial features, including the distance between their eyes and the width of the nose, to distinguish between males and females.

“We’re not giving men the choice to see the full ad – so they get a glimpse of what it’s like to have basic choices taken away,” explained Plan UK chief executive Marie Staunton.

The £30,000 ad will be launched for a two-week trial period to support the charity’s Because I Am A Girl campaign, which seeks to highlight the fact that at least 75 million girls around the world are not in school.

Although the ad will not record or save any data it collects, privacy campaigners have voiced concerns, with The Open Rights Group describing it as “creepy”.