CapCut Terms of Service Concerns Spark Creator Backlash Over Content Rights

CapCut is the editing app for millions of TikTok creators. It’s fast, intuitive, and free—and for a lot of people, it’s where their content really comes to life. So when CapCut quietly updated its Terms of Service on June 12, things got weird, fast.

People started asking questions. A few creators read the fine print. One posted about it. Then everything blew up.

What’s Got Everyone Spooked?

There’s one part of the new terms that set the internet off: CapCut now says it has the right to use anything you create on the app.

That means your videos, your audio, your face, your voice, your username—they can use all of it. And not just for keeping the app running, but potentially in marketing, promotions, or wherever else they want.

It doesn’t mean CapCut owns your work. But they’re asking for a license so broad, it basically lets them do almost anything with it.

The TikTok That Lit the Fuse

It started with @bymilaholmes. She posted a video explaining what the new terms actually say—highlighting things like perpetual, worldwide license—and warned that creators might be giving up more than they realize.

The video hit a nerve. Fast. Over 7 million views later, the conversation had exploded.

And yeah, it makes sense. CapCut is owned by ByteDance—the same company behind TikTok. That connection made people feel like there was more going on behind the scenes.

What the Terms Actually Say

Here’s the part everyone keeps quoting (brace yourself):

“You grant us an unconditional, irrevocable, royalty-free, fully transferable, perpetual, worldwide license to use, modify, adapt, reproduce, make derivative works of, display, publish, transmit, distribute, and store your content.”

It’s a mouthful. And yeah, it sounds intense. But here’s the truth: it’s mostly legal boilerplate.

You still own your content. CapCut isn’t taking that from you. What they’re doing is covering their bases—so if they want to feature your video in an ad or show it off in the app, they’re legally allowed to.

Still, the language? It’s broad. And understandably, people don’t love how vague and open-ended it feels.

Here’s the Thing: This Isn’t New

This kind of clause has actually been in CapCut’s terms before. It’s also in TikTok’s, Instagram’s, Facebook’s—you name it.

Platforms do this to run smoothly on a global scale. They store your content on their servers, they promote popular videos, and they need legal clearance to do that. So they include sweeping permissions in their Terms of Service.

It’s not a CapCut-only problem. But CapCut is definitely the one in the hot seat right now.

Still Feels Off Though, Right?

Totally fair. Even if these terms are technically “standard,” that doesn’t make them harmless.

Because here’s the catch: if CapCut uses your video in a marketing campaign, and that video includes copyrighted music or someone else’s face, you might be the one who ends up in legal trouble—not them.

That’s what’s so frustrating. You get powerful tools for free, but in exchange, you’re giving up rights you probably didn’t even know you were handing over.

So What Can You Actually Do?

If this all feels gross, you’re not alone. There are alternatives. Tools like LumaFusion, VN Editor, and DaVinci Resolve give you more control, with fewer strings attached. They’re not perfect, but they’re less cloud-reliant, and some don’t touch your content at all unless you ask them to.

That said, most free platforms still have some version of this kind of clause. It’s baked into how the modern internet works.

What This Really Comes Down To

This whole CapCut situation is bigger than one app. It’s a reminder that we all just hit “accept” without thinking. But when your content is your livelihood—or even just your creative outlet—that little checkbox matters.

No one’s saying you need to read every line of every ToS. But at the very least, know what you’re trading away in exchange for free tools.

Because at the end of the day, content isn’t just content anymore. It’s currency. And in this economy? You can’t afford to give it away without knowing what’s in the fine print.

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