The nuances and challenges of moderating a code collaboration platform

We have updated ours Transparency Center with data from the first half of 2024 and invite you to explore and download the data and visualizations for your own research.

Recently, you may notice a significant increase in affected projects DMCA Takedownswith 1,041 reports processed and 18,472 projects discontinued in the first half of 2024 compared to 964 reports and 6,358 projects discontinued in the second half of 2023. This increase is largely due to a Individual acceptance.

GitHub moderation presents specific challenges for the code collaboration environment, but policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders are often less familiar with how a platform like GitHub works. That’s one reason our policy team regularly advocates for developers, code collaboration, and open source development. Open source software is a public goodwhich underlies all sectors of the economy and serves as essential digital infrastructure and moderates the home of open source software, requires careful consideration to ensure that essential code remains accessible. Meanwhile, our trust and security team has continuously developed Developer-centric approach to content moderation in response to technological and social developments.

In the interest of expanding understanding of code collaboration, promoting transparency in our own governance practices, and enriching platform studies research, we are proud to share the recently published article: “Nuances and challenges of moderating a code collaboration platform” in the Journal of Online Trust and Security and co-authored by members of our Trust and Safety, Legal and Policy teams. The paper is available to everyone and we encourage you to read it in its entirety. It covers how moderating a code collaboration platform presents unique considerations, illustrated through various case studies. We’re also considering how the new frontiers of AI will present challenges and opportunities for maintaining our developer-focused standards at scale.

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