What you're agreeing to

CapCut, owned by ByteDance (TikTok's parent company), claims a broad license to all video content you create and edit using the app. Your creations and biometric data extracted during editing may be collected and stored on ByteDance servers in China.

Privacy in plain English

CapCut collects your face geometry, voice data, and all video content you process through the app. As a ByteDance product, this data is subject to Chinese data laws which can require disclosure to Chinese government authorities.

Terms of Service Breakdown

Concerning Clauses

• CapCut claims a license to user-generated content, including videos of your face and voice processed through the app.
• Your content and associated biometric data may be stored on servers in China or Singapore, outside EU and US privacy jurisdiction.
• ByteDance can transfer your data to any country for processing without specific user consent for each transfer.

Data Sharing

• As a ByteDance subsidiary, CapCut's data practices mirror TikTok's and data flows to ByteDance's global infrastructure.
• Advertising partners and analytics providers receive device and behavioral data from the app.

Known Incidents

• 2023: CapCut was temporarily banned in India following India's broader ban on ByteDance apps over national security concerns.
• 2023: Researchers found CapCut's privacy policy allowed collection of biometric identifiers including faceprints and voiceprints.

Privacy Policy Breakdown

Privacy Issues

• CapCut explicitly collects biometric data including face geometry when you use AI editing features.
• All processed video content may be stored on ByteDance servers in China where US privacy law does not apply.

Who Gets Your Data

• Data flows to ByteDance's global data infrastructure including servers in China, subject to Chinese national security law.
• Advertising and analytics partners receive device identifiers and behavioral data.

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