In Shenzhen, a platform called ActID operates as a stock photo marketplace for human faces, where extras, retirees, students, and models upload images to be licensed for AI-generated characters. ActID launched in March 2026 and has around 300 users who have agreed to license their likenesses, with roughly ten faces used in two AI drama productions so far. A competing platform, New Claw, operates out of Chengdu with a minimum price of 500 yuan, around $74, per image. Fees range from $15 to $700 per arrangement depending on the face type, permitted uses, and number of productions. China’s AI microdrama sector reached roughly 16.8 billion yuan in 2025, and more than 10,000 AI-generated microdramas have been released each month since early 2026. The Guangzhou Internet Court alone has handled around 700 AI-related face-theft cases over the past three years. Licensing contracts on these platforms have been reported as vague about duration, modification, reuse, and who may ultimately access the likeness. ActID monitors the internet for unauthorised use but cannot guarantee licensed photos won’t be collected illegally, used in unauthorised face swaps, or included in future AI training data.