What can I do about this clause?

{'method': 'WEB_FORM', 'recipient': 'https://github.com/settings/privacy', 'difficulty': 'EASY', 'action_type': 'OPT_OUT_ARBITRATION', 'instructions': 'Go to GitHub Account Settings > Privacy and adjust your cookie and tracking preferences to opt out of non-essential advertising cookies. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.', 'deadline_days': None, 'deadline_hours': None}

Which regulatory agencies enforce this type of clause?

{'agency': 'FTC', 'reason': 'FTC has authority under Section 5 over deceptive or unfair tracking and advertising data practices by technology platforms.', 'complaint_url': 'https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/'}, {'agency': 'State_AG', 'reason': 'California Attorney General and CPPA enforce CPRA opt-out rights for cross-context behavioral advertising facilitated by cookies.', 'complaint_url': 'https://www.naag.org/find-my-ag/'}

What is the severity of this clause?

ConductAtlas classifies this Cookies and Advertising Tracking clause as medium severity. Severity reflects the magnitude of rights affected, the breadth of users impacted, and the degree of discretion the platform retains.

Cookies and Advertising Tracking — GitHub

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What it is

GitHub uses cookies and tracking pixels to monitor your activity on the site and to show you targeted ads, and it shares this tracking data with third-party advertising partners.

Clause Stability Highly Volatile

Change

Month Monitored

Apr 27, 2026

First Seen

Apr 27, 2026

Last Seen

This clause has changed once in 1 month of monitoring.

Change history

modified Apr 28, 2026

Previous version had no excerpt; current version adds explicit disclosure of interest-based advertising and cross-site tracking partnerships.

View full change record →

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Third-party advertising partners can track your activity across GitHub and other websites using cookies and pixels, building a behavioral profile used for targeted advertising — data you did not explicitly consent to share with advertisers.

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.

Opt Out of Arbitration

Go to GitHub Account Settings > Privacy and adjust your cookie and tracking preferences to opt out of non-essential advertising cookies. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.

Cross-platform context

See how other platforms handle Cookies and Advertising Tracking and similar clauses.

Compare across platforms →

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Why it matters (compliance & risk perspective)

Advertising tracking on a developer platform is unusual and means your browsing and coding behavior on GitHub may be used to build an advertising profile shared across the web.

View original clause language

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as web beacons and pixels) to operate and provide our services, track your activity on GitHub, and deliver advertising. We may work with third-party analytics and advertising partners who use these technologies to collect information about your use of our services over time and across other websites and applications to deliver interest-based advertisements. You can control the use of cookies through your browser settings and our cookie preferences.

Institutional analysis (Compliance & legal intelligence)

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: This provision implicates GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) (consent required for non-essential cookies under ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC as amended), CCPA/CPRA §1798.120 (right to opt out of sale/sharing of personal information including via cookies), IAB TCF 2.2 framework compliance requirements, and FTC Act Section 5 regarding deceptive tracking disclosures.

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Applicable agencies

FTC

FTC has authority under Section 5 over deceptive or unfair tracking and advertising data practices by technology platforms.
File a complaint →
State AG

California Attorney General and CPPA enforce CPRA opt-out rights for cross-context behavioral advertising facilitated by cookies.
File a complaint →

Provision details

Document information

Document

GitHub Privacy Statement

Entity

GitHub

Document last updated

April 29, 2026

Tracking information

First tracked

April 27, 2026

Last verified

April 27, 2026

Record ID

CA-P-003597

Document ID

CA-D-00254

Evidence Provenance

Source URL

https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-general-privacy-statement

Wayback Machine

View archived versions →

SHA-256

6b5f0a9a524d3261cfe25f12abc65ee86bfcca11dcb979d0a2c6fa30d7aa36e8

Verified

✓ Snapshot stored ✓ Change verified

How to Cite

ConductAtlas Policy Archive
Entity: GitHub | Document: GitHub Privacy Statement | Record: CA-P-003597
Captured: 2026-04-27 14:59:43 UTC | SHA-256: 6b5f0a9a524d3261…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/github/github-privacy-statement/cookies-and-advertising-tracking/
Accessed: May 2, 2026

Classification

Severity

Medium

Cookies and Advertising Tracking