GitHub will start using Copilot interaction data from Free, Pro, and Pro+ tiers for model training unless users opt out, while Business and Enterprise remain excluded. Engineers should recheck privacy settings and keep personal and company repository usage boundaries explicit.
Posted by prefork
GitHub announces that from April 24, 2026, interaction data (inputs, outputs, code snippets, context) from Copilot Free, Pro, and Pro+ users will be used to train and improve AI models unless users opt out via settings under 'Privacy'. Copilot Business and Enterprise users are unaffected. Previous opt-outs are preserved. Data includes accepted outputs, prompts, code context, comments, file names, interactions, and feedback, but excludes Business/Enterprise data and opted-out users. Data may be shared with affiliates like Microsoft but not third parties. Aims to enhance model performance using real-world developer data.
GitHub's policy update makes the scope explicit: for individual paid and free tiers, Copilot interaction data will be used for model improvement by default unless the user disables "Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training" under Privacy. The same post says Business and Enterprise customers are not included, and that previously saved opt-out choices will carry forward.
The data boundary is broad. According to the HN summary, it includes prompts, code context, outputs, and feedback; GitHub's own list also names accepted suggestions, comments, file names, and interaction metadata. GitHub says the data may be shared with affiliates such as Microsoft, but not third parties, as described in the policy post.
Posted by prefork
If you use Copilot, this affects your data boundary: prompts, code context, outputs, and feedback from Free/Pro/Pro+ may be used for model training unless you disable it, while Business/Enterprise are excluded. The thread highlights the exact opt-out setting, questions around mixed personal/work repos, and concerns about secrets or private code being exposed through normal IDE usage.
In the discussion roundup, one user said the training toggle was "enabled by default," and another said they "just checked" and found sharing was on. That reaction matters because many engineers use the same GitHub identity across hobby repos, side projects, and employer-adjacent work.
Posted by prefork
Thread discussion highlights: - mentalgear on Default privacy settings: "Allow GitHub to use my data for AI model training" is enabled by default. Turn it off here: https://github.com/settings/copilot/features - OtherShrezzing on Business and Enterprise exclusions: How can enterprises be confident that their IP isn’t being absorbed into the GH models in that scenario? - rectang on User opt-in surprise: I just checked my Github settings, and found that sharing my data was "enabled".
The thread also surfaces a more operational concern: whether sensitive code or secrets can be exposed through ordinary Copilot usage. One commenter argued there is "no way to ignore sensitive files with API keys" in the IDE flow, as quoted in the thread summary, while another questioned how confidently enterprises can separate corporate IP from personal-account activity when only Business and Enterprise plans are excluded.
