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
This clause determines the legal framework applicable to the agreement and establishes San Francisco as the sole forum for dispute resolution, which affects where and under what law any legal proceedings must occur.
GitHub's updated Terms of Service now include an explicit section governing AI features, including Copilot. The new section establishes specific contractual terms for how user data may be collected, used, and retained for developing and improving AI and machine learning models, and identifies what controls are available to users. The practical effect is that AI-related data practices are now consolidated under dedicated contractual language rather than dispersed across general service terms.
View change record →GitHub's Terms of Service update on April 19, 2026 involved substantial revisions across 54 sentences, with 40 sentences removed and 4 added. The extent of change suggests modifications to core service provisions; however, without access to the specific language that was modified, removed, or added, the precise operational implications for users cannot be determined. Users should review the updated Terms directly to understand how the changes affect their usage rights, account obligations, or dispute resolution procedures.
View change record →Users must resolve disputes through San Francisco courts under U.S. federal and California law. This establishes a specific geographic venue and legal jurisdiction that applies to all claims arising from the service agreement.
How other platforms handle this
These Terms of Service, and any dispute arising hereunder, will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Israel without giving effect to any principles of conflicts of laws that would require or permit the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction. You agree t...
All claims arising out of or relating to these terms or the Service will be governed by California law, except California's conflict of laws rules, and will be litigated exclusively in the federal or state courts of Santa Clara County, California, USA. You and YouTube consent to personal jurisdictio...
These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, excluding its conflicts of law rules, and the federal laws of the United States. Any dispute arising from or relating to the subject matter of these Terms shall be finally settled by arbitration in San Francisco County, California...
Monitoring
GitHub has changed this document before.
Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 25 platforms.
"Except to the extent applicable law provides otherwise, this Agreement between you and GitHub and any access to or use of the Website or the Service are governed by the federal laws of the United States of America and the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law provisions. You and GitHub agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts located in the City and County of San Francisco, California.— Excerpt from GitHub's GitHub Terms of Service
Compliance Governance Intelligence
Need to monitor specific governance provisions?
Compliance includes provision-level monitoring, governance timelines, regulatory mapping, and audit-ready analysis.
Built from archived source documents, structured governance mappings, and historical version tracking.
This clause determines the legal framework applicable to the agreement and establishes San Francisco as the sole forum for dispute resolution, which affects where and under what law any legal proceedings must occur.
Users must resolve disputes through San Francisco courts under U.S. federal and California law. This establishes a specific geographic venue and legal jurisdiction that applies to all claims arising from the service agreement.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 4 platforms. See the full comparison.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by GitHub.