GitHub · GitHub Privacy Statement · View original document ↗

International Data Transfers and Standard Contractual Clauses

High severity Medium confidence Explicitdocumentlanguage Rare · 4 of 325 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

GitHub transfers personal data internationally, including to the US, and relies on Standard Contractual Clauses to make EU, UK, and Swiss data transfers lawful under data protection law.

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 states GitHub relies on Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers, which is the standard legal mechanism post-Schrems II; however, adequacy of these transfers depends on supplementary technical and organizational measures that are not detailed in the policy itself.

Interpretive note: The policy does not specify the supplementary technical measures accompanying Standard Contractual Clauses or confirm EU-US Data Privacy Framework participation, creating interpretive uncertainty about full transfer compliance.

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 Git…

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

EU, UK, and Swiss users' personal data is transferred to the United States and potentially other countries, with Standard Contractual Clauses cited as the legal basis; the sufficiency of those measures depends on supplementary safeguards not fully described in this document.

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
    EU, UK, or Swiss users who wish to exercise rights regarding international data transfers can contact GitHub's Data Protection Officer or submit a privacy request at https://support.github.com/contact/privacy.

How other platforms handle this

Unity Medium

Personal data collected by Unity may be transferred to and processed in countries outside of the European Economic Area, including the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. Where we transfer personal data from the EEA or the UK, we rely on appropriate safeg...

Upwork Medium

When we transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we use appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, to ensure your data is protected.

Bluesky Medium

We may transfer, process, and store all personal information we collect anywhere in the world. Different countries have different data protection laws. If we transfer personal information from the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Brazil and/or the United Kingdom to a country that does not provid...

See all platforms with this clause type →

Monitoring

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▸ View Original Clause Language DOCUMENT RECORD
"
GitHub may transfer personal data to countries outside of your home country, including to the United States where GitHub is headquartered. For transfers from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland to countries not considered to provide an adequate level of protection, GitHub relies on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission. GitHub's Data Protection Officer can be contacted for further information.

— Excerpt from GitHub's GitHub Privacy Statement

ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision directly implicates GDPR Chapter V (international data transfers), the Schrems II judgment (C-311/18), and UK GDPR transfer requirements. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework may also be relevant if GitHub participates. The Irish Data Protection Commission and European Data Protection Board are the primary supervisory authorities. Transfers relying solely on Standard Contractual Clauses without documented supplementary measures may not satisfy post-Schrems II requirements. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High for EU/EEA and UK enterprise customers. The absence of detailed supplementary technical measures in the policy text means compliance teams cannot confirm from this document alone whether transfers are fully compliant with post-Schrems II standards. Transfer impact assessments are required under GDPR guidance for transfers to the United States. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU/EEA users face the highest exposure given ongoing regulatory scrutiny of US data transfers. UK users are subject to UK GDPR transfer requirements following Brexit. Swiss users are subject to the revised Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection. Organizations in France, Germany, and the Netherlands may face additional national DPA guidance on US data transfers. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Enterprise procurement teams should request GitHub's Standard Contractual Clauses and Transfer Impact Assessment documentation as part of vendor due diligence. Any enterprise agreement that includes data processing terms should specify the transfer mechanisms and supplementary measures applicable to EU employee data. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Legal teams should request and review GitHub's Transfer Impact Assessment, confirm EU-US Data Privacy Framework participation status, verify that supplementary technical measures including encryption and access controls are documented, and assess whether data residency options are available for enterprise deployments.

Full compliance analysis

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

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Applicable agencies

  • State AG
    For US-based concerns about international data transfer adequacy, relevant state attorneys general may have jurisdiction under state privacy laws.
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

CCPA/CPRA
California, USA
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-011303
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-011303
Captured: 2026-05-10 09:46:36 UTC
SHA-256: d21b58443ca0b440…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/github/github-privacy-statement/international-data-transfers-and-standard-contractual-clauses/
Accessed: May 13, 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 International Data Transfers and Standard Contractual Clauses clause do?

The policy states GitHub relies on Standard Contractual Clauses for international transfers, which is the standard legal mechanism post-Schrems II; however, adequacy of these transfers depends on supplementary technical and organizational measures that are not detailed in the policy itself.

How does this clause affect you?

EU, UK, and Swiss users' personal data is transferred to the United States and potentially other countries, with Standard Contractual Clauses cited as the legal basis; the sufficiency of those measures depends on supplementary safeguards not fully described in this document.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 4 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with GitHub?

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