GitHub does not allow children under 13 to use its services and will delete any data it discovers was collected from a child under 13.
Previous version had no excerpt; current version adds specific contact mechanism and deletion commitment for unauthorized child data collection.
View full change record →Children under 13 are prohibited from creating GitHub accounts, and any personal data inadvertently collected from a minor under 13 will be deleted — but GitHub has no stated active verification mechanism to prevent underage registration.
Cross-platform context
See how other platforms handle Children's Privacy — Minimum Age Restriction and similar clauses.
Compare across platforms →Given the open and collaborative nature of GitHub where many users participate in public repositories, the risk of underage users accessing the platform without verification is real, and parents should be aware of this age restriction.
REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: COPPA (15 U.S.C. §6501 et seq.; 16 C.F.R. Part 312) requires verifiable parental consent prior to collecting personal information from children under 13 in the US; GDPR Art. 8 sets age of digital consent at 16 (or lower if member states specify, minimum 13) for information society services; UK GDPR and ICO Age Appropriate Design Code (Children's Code) impose additional obligations for services likely accessed by under-18s.
Compliance intelligence locked
Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.
Watcher: regulatory citations. Professional: full compliance memo.