26/06/2025
CapCut’s New Terms: Are You Giving Away Your Rights Without Realizing It?
What’s Going On?
CapCut, the popular video editing app owned by ByteDance (of TikTok fame), has updated its Terms of Service and it’s raising serious red flags for creators and businesses alike.
As of June 12, any content you upload to CapCut even drafts grants them a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use your videos, voice, name, face, and username however they want. That includes for marketing or promotional use, even after you delete your account.
What Does This Mean for You?
You don’t lose copyright but CapCut can reuse your work forever, without asking or paying you. For professionals using CapCut for brand campaigns, journalism, or client content, this could mean unintended exposure or loss of control.
Even worse? These rights are granted automatically when you upload. No opt-outs. No checkboxes. No additional permissions.
Legal, But Ethical?
While technically lawful, the ethics are murky. Legal experts say the terms could override your moral rights, making legal pushback nearly impossible.
What You Can Do
* Avoid uploading sensitive or commercial content
* Edit offline when possible
* Keep local backups
* Explore alternatives like DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere
Bottom Line
Free isn’t always free. With CapCut’s new terms, your content could be working for them long after you’ve moved on.
Think twice before you upload.
