TL;DR
A developer has migrated their code from GitHub to Forgejo, citing issues with ownership, outages, and data privacy. The move reflects broader concerns about platform control and trust, exemplified by government adoption of Forgejo.
A developer has moved their code from GitHub to a self-hosted Forgejo instance, citing concerns over ownership, outages, and recent policy changes. This mirrors actions by the Dutch government, which adopted Forgejo for its public code repositories, highlighting a broader shift towards self-hosted, open-source platforms for digital autonomy.
The developer, who previously hosted their repositories on GitHub, transitioned to Forgejo v15 LTS on a single NUC in a hardened setup. The move was motivated by issues of ownership and control, not outages alone. Recent incidents at GitHub, including 257 incidents from May 2025 to April 2026 and major outages, underscored reliability concerns, but the core reason was trust. In August 2025, GitHub lost its standalone CEO and became part of Microsoft’s CoreAI division, intensifying concerns over corporate influence and data privacy. Additionally, in April 2026, GitHub changed its privacy policy to default interaction data to be used for AI training, with no repository-level opt-out, raising privacy concerns. The Dutch government adopted Forgejo for its code repositories earlier in April, citing the need to legally own and control its source code. The developer plans to archive their GitHub repositories and redirect them to the new Forgejo instance once migration is complete.
Why It Matters
This move highlights growing trust issues among developers regarding platform ownership, reliability, and data privacy. As large platforms like GitHub become more integrated with corporate AI initiatives, individual and government entities seek greater control through self-hosted, open-source solutions. The shift could influence broader developer and institutional choices in source code management, emphasizing sovereignty and privacy.
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Background
GitHub, acquired by Microsoft in 2018, was historically seen as an independent platform, but recent developments have altered that perception. The platform has experienced frequent outages, with over 250 incidents in less than a year, and has increased its AI integration, including default data sharing policies. In August 2025, GitHub’s leadership changed when CEO Thomas Dohmke stepped down, and the platform was absorbed into Microsoft’s AI division, raising concerns over corporate influence. Meanwhile, the Dutch government’s adoption of Forgejo for official code repositories in April 2026 reflects a broader trend towards self-hosted, open-source solutions for digital sovereignty, driven by trust and ownership issues.
“I quietly moved my own code in the same direction. My canonical Git host is now code.jorijn.com, running Forgejo v15 LTS on a single NUC in a hardened setup.”
— the developer
“Capacity needs to grow 30x to keep up with AI-driven load.”
— Vlad Fedorov, GitHub CTO
“Dohmke stepped down as GitHub’s CEO in August 2025; the company was then absorbed into Microsoft’s CoreAI division.”
— Thomas Dohmke, former GitHub CEO
“I cannot guarantee EU data is safe from silent US government access under FISA Section 702 and the CLOUD Act.”
— Microsoft attorney
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What Remains Unclear
It is still unclear how many individual developers or organizations will follow suit with similar migrations. The long-term impact of platform trust issues on GitHub’s user base remains uncertain, as does the future of open-source control under corporate AI initiatives.
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What’s Next
The developer plans to complete the migration process, archive their GitHub repositories, and redirect them to Forgejo. Broader industry trends suggest more developers and institutions may consider similar moves if trust and ownership continue to erode at major platforms.
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Key Questions
Why did you choose Forgejo over other self-hosted options?
I chose Forgejo because it is fully open source, offers all the freedoms needed for digital autonomy, and aligns with my goal of owning and controlling my source code without reliance on proprietary platforms.
Are outages at GitHub the main reason for your migration?
No, outages are a symptom. The primary reason is trust—specifically, concerns over ownership, data privacy, and the platform’s increasing integration with corporate AI initiatives.
What are the implications of GitHub being part of Microsoft’s AI division?
It raises questions about how much control Microsoft has over the platform and the data stored there. This shift affects trust, especially for those wary of US jurisdiction and corporate influence over open-source projects.
Will you still use GitHub for any projects?
My plan is to archive my public repositories and redirect them to Forgejo once migration is complete. I will no longer actively rely on GitHub for new projects.
