Your Code Is Training GitHub's AI: Opt Out Before April 24

If you use GitHub Copilot Free or Pro, your coding interactions — including code snippets and completions — will start training GitHub's AI models by default on April 24, 2026. This is a significant policy change that GitHub announced March 26, and the opt-out window closes in two weeks.

Here's what changed, what it means for your code, and how to opt out if you don't want your data used this way.

What Changed

GitHub updated its terms of service for Copilot. Starting April 24, 2026, GitHub will use 'inputs, outputs, code snippets, and associated metadata' from Copilot Free and Pro sessions to improve GitHub and Microsoft AI models. This is on by default. You have to actively turn it off.

If you're on Copilot Business or Enterprise with data protection settings enabled, you're exempt — your interactions were already excluded from training. This change affects Free and Pro users.

How to Opt Out (Takes 60 Seconds)

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To opt out before April 24:
1. Go to github.com and sign in
2. Click your profile picture → Settings
3. In the left sidebar, click 'Copilot'
4. Find the section titled 'Suggestions matching public code' or look for
   'Allow GitHub to use my data to improve GitHub Copilot'
5. Toggle this OFF
6. Save changes

Alternatively, go directly to:
github.com/settings/copilot

The setting you want is under 'Policies' → 'Training data'.

Pro Tip

Do this for every GitHub account you use — work and personal. If your company has a GitHub organization, ask your admin to check the organization-level policy settings as well.

What Data Is Actually Collected

GitHub's policy covers interaction data — what you type into Copilot Chat, the code context Copilot sees when generating completions, and the suggestions you accept or reject. This is the core training signal for improving AI coding models.

If you work on proprietary code, trade secrets, or any code with confidentiality requirements, opting out is the right call. Accepted suggestions can include code from your private repos. Even anonymized, you don't want proprietary business logic in a training corpus.

Should You Actually Care?

It depends on what you're building. If you're working on open-source projects or personal projects with no confidentiality requirements, the training contribution may feel neutral or even positive — your accepted suggestions help improve the tool for everyone. If you're working on anything proprietary, client code, or code with legal or compliance constraints, opt out.

The key question is: would your employer or client be comfortable knowing that code snippets from this project are being used to train Microsoft's AI? If the answer is 'no' or 'I'm not sure,' opt out.

Alternatives if You Want AI Coding Without Data Sharing

Several alternatives keep your code private by default. Claude Code runs locally and Anthropic does not train on your code by default. Cursor has a privacy mode that disables data collection. Copilot Business and Enterprise include data protection that already exempts you from training. Local models via Ollama in VS Code (now supported in Copilot CLI as of April 7) keep everything on-device.

The Deadline

April 24, 2026. That's when the new policy takes effect. If you opt out before that date, your data will not be used for training. If you opt out after, GitHub's policy states that data collected prior to your opt-out will not be retroactively removed from training sets.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I miss the April 24 deadline, can I still opt out?

Yes, you can opt out at any time after April 24 to stop future data collection. However, data already collected before you opt out will not be removed from training sets. The deadline matters because data collected before your opt-out date is included regardless of when you eventually turn it off.

Does this affect private GitHub repositories?

The policy covers interaction data from Copilot sessions, which includes code context from files open in your editor — including files from private repos. Copilot sees the code around your cursor to generate completions. That context is part of what the policy covers.

I'm on a company GitHub account. Is my organization affected?

Organizations on Copilot Business or Enterprise with data protection enabled are exempt. If your company uses the free or pro plan, or hasn't enabled data protection settings at the org level, individual users should opt out at the personal level. Check with your IT or security team about your org's current settings.