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GitHub’s policy change is already in effect. Since April 24, 2026, Copilot Free, Pro, and Pro+ users have been included by default in a program that uses specified Copilot interaction data to train and improve AI models unless they opt out. Copilot Business and Enterprise users, and enterprise-owned repositories, are excluded from this particular update.
You can keep using Copilot after opting out. The control is in GitHub’s Settings → Copilot → Privacy area.
What changed, and when
GitHub announced the policy update on March 25, 2026, and made the new default effective April 24, 2026. As of August 18, 2026, this is an active policy rather than a future deadline.
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Some coverage describes the move as GitHub “reversing course.” That is a description used by secondary reporting; GitHub’s own announcement calls it an update to its interaction-data usage policy. The practical change is that training participation is now enabled by default for affected individual plans unless the user changes the setting.
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GitHub says people who had already disabled the related data-collection setting for product improvements retain that preference. Their data is not used for training unless they later opt in.
Which Copilot users are affected?
| Plan or repository | Covered by this update? |
|---|---|
| Copilot Free | Yes, unless the user opts out |
| Copilot Pro | Yes, unless the user opts out |
| Copilot Pro+ | Yes, unless the user opts out |
| Copilot Business | No, not by this specific update |
| Copilot Enterprise | No, not by this specific update |
| Enterprise-owned repositories | Excluded from the announced program |
“Not affected” is narrower than “no data is ever processed.” The announcement only establishes that Business, Enterprise, and enterprise-owned repositories are outside this particular training-data change; it does not describe every operational, security, telemetry, or product-improvement practice for those plans.
What interaction data may be used?
GitHub lists these categories of data for the program:
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- Copilot outputs that a user accepts or modifies
- Code surrounding the cursor
- User-written comments and documentation
- File names and repository structure
- Navigation patterns
- Interactions with chat, inline suggestions, and other Copilot features
- Feedback such as thumbs-up and thumbs-down ratings
GitHub says data used in this program may be shared with GitHub affiliates, including Microsoft. It also says the data will not be shared with third-party AI model providers or other independent service providers. That statement concerns data used in this training program, not a guarantee that no external infrastructure ever processes Copilot requests for ordinary service operation.
What “private repository” does—and does not—mean
GitHub says content in private repositories that is merely stored on GitHub—content “at rest”—is not part of the announced training program. But Copilot can process code from a private repository during an active request, such as when it reads the open file and surrounding code to generate a suggestion. GitHub says interaction data from that active use may be used for training unless you opt out.
So neither of these shortcuts is accurate: GitHub is not saying it trains on every file in every private repository, and it is not saying private code is never processed or potentially included. The relevant distinction is stored repository content versus content supplied in an active Copilot interaction.
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How to opt out
- Sign in to the GitHub account you use for Copilot.
- Open your profile menu and select Settings.
- Choose Copilot.
- Open Privacy.
- Turn off the control that allows GitHub to use your interaction data for AI model training.
- Confirm or save the change if GitHub presents a confirmation control.
GitHub’s interface and wording can change, so check the current label shown in your account. If you use separate personal and employer-managed accounts, review each account’s setting. Organization policies may also control behavior for managed accounts.
What opting out does—and does not—do
What it does
- Excludes your interaction data from the announced model-training program going forward, according to GitHub’s policy description.
- Allows you to continue using the Copilot AI features you already use; GitHub says opting out does not cancel Copilot access.
What it does not establish
- It does not necessarily stop processing required to provide Copilot, such as operational handling, logging, retention, or security controls.
- It does not, based on the announcement, promise deletion of information collected before April 24, 2026.
- It does not guarantee that generated code cannot resemble existing code or that a model has never encountered similar code elsewhere.
- It does not automatically make a personal Copilot account subject to enterprise-level contractual protections when used with a work repository.
GitHub’s announcement does not clearly state whether pre-April 24 interaction data can be deleted on request or excluded retroactively from future training. Those questions require checking GitHub’s current privacy or legal documentation.
Why GitHub says it changed the policy
GitHub says real-world interaction data can help improve understanding of development workflows, code-pattern suggestions, security suggestions, bug detection, acceptance rates, and performance across languages and use cases.
The company also says it had used interaction data from Microsoft employees and observed meaningful acceptance-rate improvements in multiple languages. That is GitHub’s reported result, not an independently audited causal study.
Should you opt out?
Opting out is the safer default for sensitive work when
- You handle proprietary source code, customer information, credentials, regulated data, or unreleased intellectual property.
- Your employer prohibits vendor training on interaction data.
- You object to an opt-out rather than opt-in default.
- You want a clear separation between paying for coding assistance and contributing data to model development.
Remaining opted in may be reasonable when
- You work mainly on non-sensitive code.
- You accept GitHub’s stated affiliate-sharing terms.
- You value the possibility of improvements in suggestions, bug detection, or workflow understanding.
For workplace code, check your employer’s security, procurement, and legal requirements rather than relying only on the repository’s visibility setting.
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If you are considering another coding assistant
Alternatives include Cursor, Windsurf, Amazon Q Developer, and Claude Code. Their training, retention, and deletion terms can differ by consumer, team, and enterprise plan, so do not assume any competitor never trains on code without checking the current agreement.
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When comparing tools, examine whether training use is opt-in, opt-out, or contractually restricted; whether active code context is processed; repository and editor integration; administrative controls; retention and deletion options; and current usage limits. Current prices and limits change and should be verified on the providers’ official pages: Cursor pricing, Windsurf pricing, Amazon Q Developer pricing, and Claude pricing.
What this policy does not mean
- It does not mean GitHub automatically trains on every file in every private repository.
- It does not mean all Copilot plans are treated identically.
- It does not mean opting out removes Copilot.
- It does not mean opting out prevents every form of service processing.
- It does not prove that Copilot’s quality improvements are independently verified.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GitHub training on all private repositories?
No. GitHub excludes private-repository content at rest from this announced program, but code from a private repository processed during an active Copilot interaction may be included unless you opt out.
Does this update affect Copilot Business or Enterprise?
GitHub says Business and Enterprise users, along with enterprise-owned repositories, are excluded from this specific update.
Will opting out disable Copilot?
No. GitHub says users can continue using the AI features they already use after opting out.
Does opting out delete data already collected?
The cited announcement does not clearly promise deletion or retroactive exclusion of data collected before April 24, 2026.
Does the setting apply to every GitHub account I use?
Check each separately managed account. Personal and employer-managed accounts can have different settings, and organization policies may control managed accounts.
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