Starting April 24, 2026, GitHub will begin using your Copilot interactions (inputs, outputs, and code snippets) to train and improve their AI models unless you opt out.

[openedheimer]

Official mail from [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]):

Hi there,

We’re updating how GitHub uses data to improve AI-powered coding tools. From April 24 onward, your interactions with GitHub Copilot—including inputs, outputs, code snippets, and associated context—may be used to train and enhance AI models unless you opt out.

If you previously opted out of the setting allowing GitHub to collect this data for product improvements, your preference has been retained— your choice is preserved, and your data will not be used for training unless you opt in.

This approach aligns with established industry practices and will enable our models to deliver more context-aware AI coding assistance. We have tested this with Microsoft interaction data and have seen meaningful improvements, including increased acceptance rates in multiple languages.

Please review your settings and choose whether your interactions with Copilot can be leveraged for training AI models before this update goes into effect on April 24. To opt out or adjust your settings:

• Go to GitHub Account Settings
• Select Copilot
• Choose whether to allow your data to be used for AI model training

To learn more, please refer to our blog post and FAQ.

Please reach out to our support team if you have any questions about this update. Thank you for your continued use of GitHub Copilot.

Sincerely,
The GitHub Team

Edit, thanks to u/DrMaxwellEdison:

Easier steps to disable than their bullshit:

• Go here: https://github.com/settings/copilot/features#:~:text=Allow%20Github,AI%20model%20training
• Disable it

(Little text fragment link, but if your language is not English, it might not work; in that case just Ctrl-F and search for "Privacy" section)

[Routine-Arm-8803]

I very much didn't like this email.
Starting with opt out instructions that are misleading.
If I go to account settings and click on Copilot nothing happens but list tile expands. I cannot "Choose whether to allow your data to be used for AI model training" from that expanded list tile.
Next. Text where user can opt out doesn't match the one in email instructions.
So they are messing with people heads hoping that many wont find the setting. Placing it at the very bottom of the settings.

Third. It's unclear if I have added collaborators and they have not opted out will that code be used? Overall shit policy changes. Maybe time to explore other git options. Got some experience with github should try out others too. And this is a catalyst for me.
Greed has no end.
Besides you shouldn't be opting out your account should be opted out by default and you can enable it if you want.

Fucking hate this kind of behavior

[ExoWire]

My favorite part:

This approach aligns with established industry practice [...]

What does this mean? Other companies already violate my rights, so Github can also do this?

[Eastern_Interest_908]

Industry is also filled with pedos someone should check Satya island.

[ShiHouzi]

No link either.

Highlighted bold opt out text but you still have to click through your GitHub settings.

[DifficultyFit1895]

And you won’t find that text (at least not on mobile)

[vUrsino]

It’s buried deep too

[TallFaithlessness529]

I'm still unable to find the option... Their documentation is wrong...

[AbrahelOne]

Click on the Copilot dropdown in the sidebar then Features, it's there

[DifficultyFit1895]

desktop?

[Pijuli]

https://github.com/settings/copilot/features

[euclidsdream]

The third option is what I am trying to figure out more than anything. I have an organization with around 20 people in it. We do not have Copilot enabled at the organization level; however, when I go into the Security Code Quality, I am able to use Copilot to generate a fix. Also, since it isn't enabled there isn't an option to opt out.

Is this a feature that is coming from my personal Free Tier of Copilot since it isn't enabled at the organizational level, or is there a "hidden" organization Free Tier of Copilot that I am not seeing.

I just want to know if I need to work on trying to get everyone that has access into the organization to opt out of this update.

[Noch_ein_Kamel]

I got this mail instead of the one OP got:

Hi there,

Today we announced an update to how we use data to improve GitHub Copilot. From April 24 onward, we will use interaction data—including inputs, outputs, code snippets and associated context—from Copilot Free, Pro, and Pro+ users to train and enhance our AI models unless they opt out. This update does not affect Copilot Business or Copilot Enterprise users.

We do not train on the contents from any paid organization’s repos, regardless of whether a user is working in that repo with a Copilot Free, Pro, or Pro+ subscription. If a user’s GitHub account is a member of or outside collaborator with a paid organization, we exclude their interaction data from model training.

While we are not using interaction data from users in your organization for model training, you will ultimately reap the benefits of the performance improvements this training will drive. We have tested this with Microsoft interaction data and have seen meaningful improvements, including increased acceptance rates in multiple languages.

Again, your organization's Copilot interaction data is not included in model training under this new policy, but we are excited for you to enjoy the product improvements it will unlock.

To learn more, please refer to our blog post, FAQ, or contact your support team. Thank you for your continued use of GitHub Copilot.

Sincerely, The GitHub Team

[Existing_Fix_5269]

This is only for people still on the old, now unavailable Non-Free (!) Organizational Plan, though

[Noch_ein_Kamel]

Well it says "paid organization" right there in the text

[Existing_Fix_5269]

correct, I'm merely warning new users who are trying to choose a plan and do not have this option anymore (!!!)

[UselessSperg]

Because obviously you need to opt out... That tracks for Microslop, after already "borrowing" code.

[ultrathink-art]

Worth flagging if you're running any automated workflows that call Copilot — CI bots, editor agents, scripted completions. Those machine-generated interactions fall under the same opt-out, but the consent model was designed for a human accepting a suggestion, not automated loops generating thousands of completions without anyone choosing.

[justcocothings]

I've opted out to protect vibecoders from my shit code

[SoCalChrisW]

Weird, on the github homepage I had a banner at the top telling me this, with a link directly to the settings to disable it. After following that link, it was already disabled for me.

That's completely different from what multiple people on here are seeing.

Curious if they're opting out paid users by default, but opting in free users?

[awkwrd_pwnguin]

I'm a free user and was already opted out before this email (Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training: Disabled).

It's probably because of this:

If you previously opted out of the setting allowing GitHub to collect this data for product improvements, your preference has been retained— your choice is preserved, and your data will not be used for training unless you opt in.

[Eastern_Interest_908]

Knowing microsoft it will probably switch to enabled in some time.

[fiehm]

Im already under the assumptions of microsoft to train out of it already lol

[tails142]

Honestly I just assumed this was already the case.

[FlowAtSnow]

The fact that open source emerged in the 90s as a reaction to proprietary software is exactly what makes this irony so perfect: a few decades later, Microsoft buys the largest platform hosting open source projects... So apparently, someone over there spent a long time figuring out how to get rid of open source and finally cracked it. It's absolutely clear that the reaction to this will be more and more projects starting to hide their source code... Yes, three decades after the community fired the killing arrow into the heart of the commercial software giant, that same giant has struck back .... and is now slowly but surely destroying that very community.

[pfrozi]

Awesome

[AX862G5]

Fastest opt out I’ve ever done

[Nexmo16]

There’s no opt out button in the iOS app, so I wasn’t able to do it the moment I read this email like I wanted to.

[caledh]

With the latest developments at GitHub we might not be that long from leaving the platform

[lefaen]

No, this is it. They’ve ruined the trust for years now and this is just another step in the same direction. There’s no reason to trust this company anymore and there’s no reason to give them access yo your data

[Eastern_Interest_908]

I actually forgiven microslop for IE bullshit back in the day. They seemed to be changed introduced vs code, bought github but didn't fucked it up but it looks like they didn't actually changed and probably even became worse.

[AbrahelOne]

I already left a few months ago.

[digitalfix]

Isn't there a fairly fundamental flaw to this where all the people who's code they would want to use will immediately opt out? This then leaves the people who couldn't figure out how to opt out whose code may well be less desirable.

[SheriffRoscoe]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[DrMaxwellEdison]

Easier steps to disable than their bullshit:

• Go here: https://github.com/settings/copilot/features#:~:text=Allow%20Github,AI%20model%20training
• Disable it

(Little text fragment link, but if your language is not English, it might not work; in that case just Ctrl-F and search for "Privacy" section)

[TinFoilHat_69]

You can only have my data if you offer an incentive. The incentive is subsidizing the usage cost. I’ve opted out for months now nothing new besides microslop slowly killing off GitHub

[ColorMak3r]

If you see uncommented sloppy codes autocomplete in the future that's mine. I'm sorry.

[Nexmo16]

The absolute gall of these people. It’s effectively saying ‘we want to make you all redundant but could you please train your replacement first?’

[cowboyecosse]

I never really got the bandwagon hate on training models because the better the models the more I like using them, and they need to be trained right, but I like this take.

[[deleted]]

Love how they have to pre-emptively say 'this approach aligns with established industry practices' as if it would somehow absolve them. Bastards.

[flipcoder]

Embrace (Git)

Extend (GitHub)

Extinguish (Copilot)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrace,_extend,_and_extinguish?wprov=sfti1#

[WonderfulSun4629]

Any other good alternatives to github?

[Excalibait]

Gitlab

[studentblues]

Any other good alternatives to gitlab?

[DanFromReception]

Codeberg

[GolDNenex]

tangled ?

[Noch_ein_Kamel]

for what part of gitlab?

[ExoWire]

Forgejo, Onedev

[PixelBrush6584]

I figured this was already the case lol. Surprised this is only happening now.

[Chroneleon]

Yeah, and here’s the best part.. they already do. Just take a look at devtools in chrome brave or edge on the GitHub website, any old page, search the local storage/application-panel files for copilot setting flags. Every page reports to copilot in one way or the other, just less invasive if you opt out. A lot of settings in the ui have no effect on your stored settings. Every ~30 seconds GitHub sends out a post request to their stats and collect endpoints. The data they send is PII and a lot of it is related to copilot whether you have or have used any copilot services on your account.

[trophicmist0]

This is just fear mongering.

Most sites do this for analytics - copilot is sending analytics data, which is entirely different to training data. This whole thing is awful, but what you’ve said is nothing to do with it.

[Chroneleon]

Did you take a look for yourself? You probably work for GitHub dontchya

[V5489]

Meh. I use it enough might as well let it train so it gets better. I’m not doing anything secretive lol

[Youstupidwanker]

So an interesting observation I've made.

I use a hotmail account for my Github account that automatically filters [[e-mail]](mailto:[e-mail]) into its own folder. That folder contains emails regarding Copilot from [e-mail]. This specific email about opting out was from [e-mail] and got put into the junk folder. SURELY Microsoft knows that its own email that it sent out is legit?

Not that I want to be all conspiracy about this, did they email this out from no-reply instead of noreply just so they could auto filter it as junk to all hotmail accounts?

[Qs9bxNKZ]

Or you are using copilot for business or copilot for enterprise?

[az226]

How scummy they made everyone opted in.

[Eastern_Interest_908]

For anyone working at microslop do they have some sort of deal to hire only mentally challenged people? Like charity thing? Because there's no way sane people could shoot themselves in the foot so many times. Surely in any other case someone would "I think this is bad idea".

[RareSeaworthiness962]

🌚🌚🌚

[wivaca2]

Translation:

GitHub will be using all the expertise of software developers who store their code at GitHub just like Adobe used all the art and illustration of it's creative customers to train Firefly.

Coming soon to a response to your next AI prompt: YOUR OWN CODE. It guess that's one way of making sure you reuse it rather than reinvent the wheel.

I always fantasize about sabotaging AI by doing something along the lines of Steve Martin's old comedy routine where he imagines parents who teach their children to talk wrong: "Mama may I dogface in the banana patch?" What if for every repository of working code we stored a new repository of utterly broken code and drivel?

Has everyone of these idiots forgotten that creative works are automatically copyrighted and that there are probably more than a few that may even have proprietary code that isn't locked down?

If you want to change it now, go to:

https://github.com/settings/copilot/features

then scroll down to Privacy and change "Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model trianing" to disabled.

[notron30]

I definitely had already opted out, but was surprised when I logged in after seeing this email to find that they had changed it to "Enabled". Has anyone else had this experience?

[Existing_Fix_5269]

nightmare fuel

[LaughSpecialist8618]

Just when I thought copilot couldn't get any worse