The decision for administrators
An unconfigured Copilot setting no longer necessarily waits for a separate administrator decision. GitHub’s October 22 announcement says it has begun applying the selected global policy to eligible generally available features on Copilot Business and Enterprise. Enforcement is being introduced gradually through October 26, so organizations may see the change on different days.
Administrators can inspect the default under AI Controls, then Copilot, then Default policy for new features. GitHub’s documentation says the default is enabled unless an administrator changes it. Teams should inspect their actual configuration rather than assume that an unset individual feature remains unavailable.
What the rollout changes
GitHub says the initial application resolves eligible unconfigured settings according to the chosen default. Changing that default afterward does not rewrite feature policies already set. Individual enable or disable decisions are preserved, and previews still require an opt-in.
There is a timing discrepancy in the linked documentation: it retains wording describing the feature policy as not yet active. The dated October 22 changelog explicitly announces the October 22–26 rollout; that newer notice is the basis for the timing reported here. CGH has not confirmed activation in any particular customer account. The announcement does not describe a new subscription price or a country-specific release schedule.
CGH perspective
Treat this as a configuration review with a recorded outcome. Compare the organization’s intended feature access with the settings that actually take effect, then document any deliberate exceptions. For a team that requires approval before adopting new capabilities, choosing and verifying a default is part of that process. A saved policy preference and evidence of its enforcement are separate things.