CapCut’s New Terms of Service: Why Creators Should Be Concerned
CapCut Terms of Service 2025: What Changed and Why It Matters
As of June 12, 2025, CapCut’s updated Terms of Service have raised serious red flags among content creators, influencers, and privacy advocates worldwide. The new terms give CapCut—and its parent company ByteDance—unprecedented control over any content uploaded to the platform, including drafts and unpublished projects.
📜 What Changed in CapCut’s Terms of Service?
According to the official CapCut Terms of Service, the company now holds a royalty-free, perpetual, worldwide, sublicensable license to use any content you upload. This includes videos, images, audio, and even your likeness. More concerning is that this license applies to everything, not just publicly shared content—it includes private drafts, demos, and projects stored in your account.
🚨 What This Means for Creators
The implications of these terms are significant:
Unlimited Rights Over Your Content
CapCut can legally repurpose, modify, publish, distribute, or monetize your videos and images—without notifying you or offering compensation.
Forever Ownership
Even if you delete your account or remove a video, CapCut retains full rights to that content.
No Credit or Payment Required
You waive any right to attribution or royalties. That means your work can be used in advertisements or other media, and you may never be credited for it.
Sublicensing and Resale
The platform can sublicense your content to third parties. In theory, your face or creative project could appear in someone else’s promotional campaign.
🔍 Legal Insight and Community Reaction
Law firms and content law analysts have confirmed the risks. As Isaboke Law explains, CapCut’s terms grant it the power to monetize user content across platforms, with no expiration date. Meanwhile, Reddit and X (formerly Twitter) are flooded with creators expressing outrage, calling the new terms “predatory” and “an overreach of user rights.”
“CapCut’s Terms of Service say they can use your private drafts and likeness forever, for free. That’s not editing software—that’s a rights grab.”
— Reddit user u/creatorsbeware
📱 Why Did CapCut Make This Change?
CapCut’s update mirrors a trend among social media and content platforms looking to capitalize on user-generated content (UGC). As AI and algorithmic advertising evolve, platforms benefit immensely from vast content libraries. Owning perpetual rights to user content allows them to feed those systems without incurring licensing costs.
✅ What Should You Do Now?
If you’re using CapCut for personal or professional projects, here are a few practical steps:
- Review the Terms Carefully
Visit CapCut’s Terms and read Section 10 for yourself. - Avoid Uploading Sensitive Work
Don’t store private client projects, unreleased videos, or facial data on the platform. - Consider Alternative Tools
Switch to editing platforms that protect your intellectual property, such as:
DaVinci Resolve
Adobe Premiere Pro
Final Cut Pro
HitFilm Express (for free users)
- Backup and Delete Old Projects
Although deletion won’t revoke CapCut’s license, it’s a good digital hygiene practice to remove unnecessary uploads.
📌 Final Thoughts
CapCut’s latest Terms of Service reflect a growing tension between convenience and control in the digital creator economy. While the app remains a powerful free tool for quick edits, its new policies come at a steep cost: your content rights. For creators serious about their intellectual property, now is the time to reassess your editing workflow and protect your creative assets.
Have you switched from CapCut? Share your thoughts in the comments, and let us know what editing tools you trust most.
