GitHub requires users to be at least 13 years old, and users between 13 and the age of majority in their jurisdiction must have parental or guardian consent to use the service.
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 requirement reflects GitHub's compliance obligation under United States child protection law, specifically the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The provision establishes the operational standard for account eligibility and GitHub's enforcement mechanism for age verification.
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 →Minor users between 13 and 18 may be exposed to user-generated content across public repositories, and their account data is collected under the same privacy terms as adult users, raising child data privacy considerations.
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"You must be age 13 or older. While we are thrilled to see brilliant young coders get excited by learning to program, we must comply with United States law. GitHub does not target our Service to children under 13, and we do not permit any Users under 13 on our Service. If we learn of any User under the age of 13, we will terminate that User's Account immediately.— Excerpt from GitHub's GitHub Terms of Service
The age restriction provision engages COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) compliance obligations for users under 13, and the parental consent requirement for minors may also implicate state-level children's privacy laws; educational institutions deploying GitHub for minors should conduct FERPA and COPPA due diligence.
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This requirement reflects GitHub's compliance obligation under United States child protection law, specifically the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The provision establishes the operational standard for account eligibility and GitHub's enforcement mechanism for age verification.
Minor users between 13 and 18 may be exposed to user-generated content across public repositories, and their account data is collected under the same privacy terms as adult users, raising child data privacy considerations.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 1 platforms. See the full comparison.
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