GitHub · GitHub Privacy Statement · View original document ↗

AI Product Improvement and Copilot Data Use

High severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Unique · 0 of 343 platforms
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Recent governance activity GitHub recorded 2 documented changes in the last 30 days.
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Document Record

What it is

GitHub states it may use your usage data and content interactions to improve AI products including GitHub Copilot, and directs users to product-specific terms for full details on how AI features process data.

This analysis describes what GitHub's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

The policy authorizes use of user data for AI product development, which may include training or improving machine learning models; the full scope of this use is not entirely defined within this document and requires review of separate product terms.

Interpretive note: The full scope of AI training data use is not entirely defined in this policy and requires review of separate product-specific terms, creating interpretive uncertainty about what data is used and how.

Recent Activity

This document changed recently

High Apr 28, 2026

The updated terms now explicitly authorize GitHub to collect AI outputs generated within the platform alongside user-provided code and content, and to share personal data with Microsoft and other GitHub affiliates for purposes including training and improving artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. The privacy statement indicates that aggregate and de-identified data will be used where feasible, but the updated language establishes broader authority for affiliate data sharing and AI model development than the previous version stated. The revised terms also remove specific disclosure of the conditions under which GitHub personnel may access private repositories, replacing that detail with a cross-reference to the Terms of Service, which means the scope of internal GitHub access to private repositories is now defined in a separate contract document rather than the privacy statement itself.

View change record →

Clause Stability Stable

0
Changes
3
Months Monitored
May 12, 2026
First Seen
May 22, 2026
Last Seen
This clause type exists across 3350 other provisions on other platforms.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

The policy permits GitHub to use usage data and content interactions with AI features for AI product improvement purposes, including for GitHub Copilot; the extent of this processing is subject to additional product-specific terms that are separate from this policy.

What you can do

⚠️ These actions may provide transparency or partial mitigation but may not fully address the underlying issue. Effectiveness varies by jurisdiction and individual circumstances.
  • Delete Your Data
    Contact GitHub via the privacy request form at https://support.github.com/contact/privacy to request restriction of data processing for AI product improvement, or review GitHub Copilot settings in your account for available opt-out controls.

How other platforms handle this

Ledger Medium

At Ledger, earning and maintaining our users' trust is a top priority. That's why we are deeply committed not only to protecting your privacy and securing your personal data, but also to being fully transparent about how we handle it.

Garmin Medium

If you are located in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, correct, or erase your personal data; the right to restrict or object to our processing of your personal data; the right to data portability; and, where our processing is based on your...

Strava Medium

We use information to enhance the quality, reliability, and/or accuracy of our AI Features by creating, developing, training, testing, improving, and maintaining AI and ML models run by Strava or our service providers. We use aggregated, de-identified data for this purpose. We also use personal info...

See all platforms with this clause type →

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
GitHub may use personal data to improve our products and services, including AI-powered features such as GitHub Copilot. Data used to improve AI features may include usage data, interaction data, and content provided to AI features. Users of AI-powered features should review applicable product-specific terms for additional details.

— Excerpt from GitHub's GitHub Privacy Statement

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates GDPR Article 22 (automated decision-making), Article 5 (purpose limitation), and the EU AI Act which may impose transparency and documentation requirements on AI systems using personal data for training or improvement. The FTC has issued guidance on AI and data practices. The Irish DPC and European Data Protection Board are relevant supervisory authorities. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. The use of user-generated content and interaction data for AI training or improvement is a subject of active regulatory scrutiny across the EU and US. Where enterprise users' code or communications are processed for AI improvement without explicit consent, this may conflict with employer obligations under employment law or enterprise data governance policies. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA users have heightened rights under GDPR to object to processing for purposes beyond contract performance, including product improvement. California residents may have rights to opt out of sharing data used to train AI models if that use constitutes a sale or sharing under CPRA. Organizations in regulated industries should assess whether proprietary code or data entered into AI features is subject to confidentiality obligations. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise customers should review GitHub Copilot-specific terms and any applicable enterprise agreements to determine whether AI training use can be restricted or excluded. Procurement teams should flag AI data use provisions for legal review, particularly where employees may input sensitive or proprietary information into Copilot. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should audit which AI features employees are using, review product-specific terms for each AI feature, assess whether opt-out mechanisms for AI training data use are available and exercised, and update employee privacy notices to reflect AI-related data processing.

Full compliance analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

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Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over AI data practices and unfair or deceptive practices related to how user data is used to train or improve AI products.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

EU AI Act
European Union
CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
Colorado AI Act
US-CO
Connecticut Data Privacy Act Amendments
US-CT
CAN-SPAM
United States Federal
FTC Act Section 5
United States Federal
GDPR
European Union
Indiana Consumer Data Protection Act
US-IN
Kentucky Consumer Data Protection Act
US-KY
UK GDPR
United Kingdom
Universal Opt-Out Mechanism Expansion 2026
US
VPPA
United States Federal

Provision details

Document information
Document
GitHub Privacy Statement
Entity
GitHub
Document last updated
May 5, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 10, 2026
Last verified
May 12, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-011301
Document ID
CA-D-00254
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
d21b58443ca0b4402240dbd06996ada072c72ed842fcccc6b13acab2d7bc6c4d
Analysis generated
May 10, 2026 09:46 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: GitHub
Document: GitHub Privacy Statement
Record ID: CA-P-011301
Captured: 2026-05-10 09:46:36 UTC
SHA-256: d21b58443ca0b440…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/github/github-privacy-statement/ai-product-improvement-and-copilot-data-use/
Accessed: June 27, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

Other risks in this policy

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does GitHub's AI Product Improvement and Copilot Data Use clause do?

The policy authorizes use of user data for AI product development, which may include training or improving machine learning models; the full scope of this use is not entirely defined within this document and requires review of separate product terms.

How does this clause affect you?

The policy permits GitHub to use usage data and content interactions with AI features for AI product improvement purposes, including for GitHub Copilot; the extent of this processing is subject to additional product-specific terms that are separate from this policy.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with GitHub?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by GitHub.