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 provision implements compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and establishes GitHub's enforcement mechanism for age-based access restrictions. It allocates responsibility for legal compliance to users in jurisdictions with age requirements exceeding 13 years.
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 under 13 years of age are not permitted to establish or maintain accounts on GitHub, and any identified underage accounts will be terminated automatically. Users in jurisdictions with higher minimum age thresholds bear the responsibility for ensuring their account status complies with local age requirements.
How other platforms handle this
You must be at least 13 years of age or the minimum age of digital consent required in your country to register for an account on the Service ("User Account").
Our Services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected the personal information of a child under 13, we will take steps to delete the information as soon as possible.
The Services are not directed at children under the age of 18. If you are under 18 years of age, you are not permitted to use our Services, submit any personal information to Ancestry, or otherwise engage with our Services.
Monitoring
GitHub has changed this document before.
Receive same-day alerts, structured change summaries, and monitoring for up to 10 platforms.
"GitHub does not target our Service to children under 13, and we do not permit any Users under the age of 13 on our Service. If we learn of any User under the age of 13, we will terminate that User's account immediately. If you are a resident of a country outside the United States, your country's minimum age may be older; in such a case, you are responsible for complying with your country's laws.— Excerpt from GitHub's GitHub Terms of Service
Professional Governance Intelligence
Need to monitor specific governance provisions?
Professional 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 provision implements compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and establishes GitHub's enforcement mechanism for age-based access restrictions. It allocates responsibility for legal compliance to users in jurisdictions with age requirements exceeding 13 years.
Users under 13 years of age are not permitted to establish or maintain accounts on GitHub, and any identified underage accounts will be terminated automatically. Users in jurisdictions with higher minimum age thresholds bear the responsibility for ensuring their account status complies with local age requirements.
No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by GitHub.