Crime fears emerge over growing China sales of lifelike silicone masks

One shop also claimed its products could help people pass “low-sensitivity” facial-recognition checks.

Dozens of such masks have been sold, according to statistics on the Taobao app. Taobao belongs to Alibaba Group, which owns the South China Morning Post.

In the comments section of one custom-made mask, a buyer posted a photo of her wearing a Professor Severus Snape mask, the character played by the late British actor Alan Rickman in the Harry Potter film series.

The person was impressed with the quality of “every detail” of the mask adding that it looks “surprisingly” real.

Another asked if the shop could make a mask of mainland actress Fan Bingbing. The shop answered “yes”.

One shop worker told the mainland media outlet Legal Daily that they can make any face as long as the customer provides a 3D scan, or photos of a head taken from 360 degrees, or a photo of the person they want to be and data about their own heads and facial features.

It takes approximately a month to complete one mask.

A Beijing-based film makeup artist, who requested anonymity, told the Post that such masks are commonly used as film-making props. The more hyper-real masks require more time and cost more to make.

However, she added that it was “unlikely” they could circumvent facial recognition systems.

There have been cases in which much cheaper forms of such masks have been used to commit crimes.

In March, police in Shanghai seized a burglar in his 40s, who wore a silicone mask to make him look like an old man while breaking into a flat and stealing properties worth 100,000 yuan (US$14,000).

Although the robber successfully tricked surveillance cameras, evidence he left in the house and his mobile phone signal led police to him.

At present, silicone masks are not banned in China.

However, hyper-real silicone masks might present other legal risks, such as violating a person’s reputation and portrait rights, Shanghai Glinks Law Firm partner Sherry Zhang told the Post.

Also, silicone mask sellers face legal consequences if they exaggerate the products’ functions or sell products to those who use them for illegal purposes.

Zhang, who also specialises in legal matters related to artificial intelligence (AI), told the Post that similarities can be drawn between hyper-real silicone masks and AI clones.

In June, the Beijing Internet Court made its first judgment on an AI “face swap” app’s violation of personal rights.

The app used the visages of two influencers as “face templates” to make a profit, without acquiring their consent.

The court ordered those who run the app to apologise and compensate the two influencers for infringing on their portrait and personal information rights.