Listen closely, because something big happened quietly on June 12, 2025, when CapCut updated its rules. These changes are serious. They could shake up how you control and share your videos, photos, and sounds. Every skit maker, TikTok influencer, and online entrepreneur across Africa needs to pay attention, because your creative work might just be affected.
Key Changes in CapCut’s Updated Terms
The revised policy introduces several critical provisions that users automatically agree to by continuing to use the app.
When you upload anything – a video, photo, or even a sound – to CapCut, you are basically handing over massive rights to the company, ByteDance (which also owns TikTok). They get what’s called an “unconditional, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free, fully transferable, perpetual, worldwide license.” In plain English, this means CapCut can use your content in any way they want, anywhere in the world, forever. They don’t need to ask you for permission again, and they certainly don’t have to pay you for it.
Another crucial point is that all your uploaded content will now be seen as “non-confidential.” CapCut is telling you straight: don’t upload sensitive or personal stuff because they are not responsible for keeping it private. They can use or share it as they please.
Imagine your video showing up in an ad you didn’t approve, and you can’t even complain. That’s part of it. You’re giving up your right to inspect or approve any marketing or promotional materials that feature your content. You’re also waiving any “moral rights” you might have over your creation, meaning you can’t object to how it’s portrayed.
If there’s any legal wahala about who owns the content, say you used a song without full rights, CapCut says you, the user, will carry the blame. You are responsible for making sure you have all the necessary permissions. If something goes wrong, you will be liable.
Don’t expect your videos to stay on CapCut forever. The company can, whenever it chooses, remove, disallow, block, or delete any of your content without telling you, and they don’t owe you anything for it.
For those using music, this is a big one. CapCut gives a strong warning: if you don’t fully own the rights to a song or beat, especially the original musical composition, you must not upload it unless you have obtained all necessary permissions before putting it on the app.
Implications for African Content Creators
For countless African skit makers, influencers, and entrepreneurs, who depend on CapCut for their hustle, these policy shifts are a big deal. You are basically losing major control over how your original work is used, changed, and even monetized by CapCut and its partners. If you create content for clients, be very careful.
There’s a risk that CapCut could use that very same branded content for its own purposes, without your client’s knowledge or any extra pay to you. Also, any personal or private information accidentally embedded in your videos could potentially be used by CapCut, even if you didn’t explicitly share it. And remember that indemnity clause? It means if any legal problems come up because of your content, you will bear the heavy burden of defending it, even if CapCut uses it in a way you never intended.
Read Also: The 2025 Guide for Brands: Understanding Instagram, YouTube & TikTok Algorithms for Viral Reach
Recommendations for CapCut Users
With these big changes, everyone using CapCut across Africa, especially those doing original or commercial work, should take serious steps. First, go and read the complete Terms of Service on their official website to fully understand what you’re agreeing to. Don’t just click “accept.” Always back up your video projects and raw footage somewhere else, outside of CapCut. Never rely on their cloud storage as your only safe place for your valuable content. Be very smart about your sources: make sure you have all the necessary rights and permissions for any music, images, or other people’s content you use in your videos.
If these new terms are not okay with you, then it’s time to look for other video editing software with rules that are more friendly to creators, like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or even InShot. And if you’re a freelancer or an agency using CapCut for client work, it’s absolutely vital to tell your clients about these new policies and discuss the potential risks. These updates mean that using CapCut now comes with a much broader agreement regarding your content’s usage. Every user must seriously consider the convenience of the app against the huge rights they are handing over.
