GitHub dropped a policy change yesterday that should make every developer pay attention.
Starting April 24, 2026, your Copilot interaction data will be used to train their AI models. Unless you opt out.
And here's the thing — most developers won't even notice this is happening.
Let me break down what "interaction data" means, because it's more than you think:
⚠️ Here's what caught my eye: "Content from private repositories at rest" is not used — but when you're actively using Copilot, your private code IS processed. And it could be used for training unless you opt out.
Read that again. Your private repo code, the stuff you're building your startup in, gets processed while you're using Copilot. It's only "at rest" that's protected.
The official reason? "Real-world data = smarter models."
They've been testing with Microsoft employee data internally and saw "meaningful improvements" — higher acceptance rates across multiple languages. Now they want your data too.
And honestly? They're probably right that it'll improve the models. But that doesn't mean you should be okay with how it's happening.
1. Go to github.com/settings/copilot
2. Find "Privacy" section
3. Toggle off the setting that allows data collection for model training
4. If you already opted out before, your preference is preserved
Takes 30 seconds. Set a calendar reminder for April 23 if you haven't done it yet.
Copilot Business and Enterprise users — your data is not included in this program. If your company pays for Copilot seats, you're fine.
But if you're on Copilot Free, Pro, or Pro+ — which is most indie hackers and solo builders — you're in the training pool unless you actively opt out.
GitHub isn't the first to do this. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google — they all train on user data to some degree. The difference is usually just how transparent they are about it.
What bothers me isn't the data collection itself. It's the opt-out model.
Every company defaults to "we'll use your data unless you stop us." That tells you everything about where the industry's priorities are.
For indie hackers, this matters more than you think. If you're building a SaaS in a private repo and using Copilot to write code faster, that code — your competitive advantage — is now fair game for training GitHub's next model.
The data gets shared with "GitHub affiliates" including Microsoft. Not third-party AI providers, but Microsoft is big enough to be its own concern.
1. Opt out today. Seriously, do it right now. Bookmark the settings page.
2. Consider alternatives for sensitive projects. If you're working on proprietary code, maybe use Copilot for side projects and a local LLM or Claude for the important stuff.
3. Read the fine print. Every AI tool has a data policy. Most developers never read them. That's how companies get away with this.
4. Vote with your wallet. If this matters to you, consider tools that don't train on your data. Claude Code has clearer data boundaries. There are open-source alternatives too.
GitHub Copilot is a great tool. I use it. But this policy change is a reminder that "free" or cheap AI tools aren't free — you're paying with your code.
The 30 seconds it takes to opt out could save your next startup idea from becoming training data.
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