GitHub today announced that it will no longer serve cookie banners when you visit its site – because there will be no third-party or non-essential cookies on the site. Cookies help websites tailor experiences such as advertisements, personalize posts, or analyze traffic through analytics providers like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics.
However, privacy regulations such as GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) mandate that sites serve users with a banner notifying them about the site’s cookie policy for tracking and provide them the option to opt-out of non-essential cookies – ones that are not required for the smooth functioning of a website. GitHub says that it has applied these EU privacy standards to all regions and has not limited the policies to just the EU region.
GitHub CEO Nat Friedman says that the firm finds cookie banners “irritating” and since the company does not track users across sites or display ads, it decided not to use any non-essential cookies. Friedman adds that the firm aims to further “protect developer privacy” with this decision.
Unlike other social media offerings that use ads as a large source of their revenue, GitHub does not offer personalized content or rollover ads – meaning it does not require third-party or non-essential cookies for tracking user behavior or stitch journeys to serve targeted ads. Therefore, the impact of removing non-essential cookies should not make a huge difference to the company.
What do you think about the company's decision to get rid of non-essential cookies and the banners? Let us know in the comments below!
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