Page MenuHomePhabricator
Create Task
Maniphest T401352

Disable GitLab 18.0 data collection
Closed, ResolvedPublic
Actions

Description

Noticed this when logging into admin mode on GitLab just now:

Starting with 18.0, GitLab will collect event-level product usage data from Self-Managed and Dedicated instances — while ensuring privacy, transparency, and customer control. GitLab administrators can turn off the data collection toggle before any data is collected in version 18.0. For more information about this change and how you can opt out, see the documentation.

Seems like something we should disable.

Disabling:

https://gitlab.wikimedia.org/help/administration/settings/event_data.md#enable-or-disable-event-level-data-collection

Didn't find it in the settings API at a glance, but I'm guessing it's there somewhere.

Details

Related Changes in GitLab:
TitleReferenceAuthorSource BranchDest Branch
disable usage_pingrepos/releng/gitlab-settings!77jeltodisable-usage-pingmain
Customize query in GitLab

Related Objects

Event Timeline

brennen created this task.Aug 6 2025, 7:43 PM
Restricted Application added a subscriber: Aklapper. · View Herald TranscriptAug 6 2025, 7:43 PM
Nemoralis awarded a token.Aug 6 2025, 9:26 PM
Jelto subscribed.Aug 7 2025, 8:26 AM

Thanks for opening the task! I also saw that message when upgrading the instances in T394382: Upgrade GitLab to major version 18. I also checked the settings API back then but did not find any API endpoint for the event collection. So I disabled it manually when doing the upgrade, see

https://gitlab.devtools.wmcloud.org/admin/application_settings/metrics_and_profiling
https://gitlab.wikimedia.org/admin/application_settings/metrics_and_profiling#js-product-usage-data-settings
https://gitlab-replica-a.wikimedia.org/admin/application_settings/metrics_and_profiling#js-product-usage-data-settings
https://gitlab-replica-b.wikimedia.org/admin/application_settings/metrics_and_profiling#js-product-usage-data-settings

However I noticed Enable Service Ping is still enabled. Described as To help improve GitLab and its user experience, GitLab periodically collects usage information. There is a setting-api endpoint for that and we might want to disable that as well. The data contained in this "ping" is quite broad. I'll upload a change for that.

CodeReviewBot added a project: Patch-For-Review.Aug 7 2025, 8:27 AM

jelto opened https://gitlab.wikimedia.org/repos/releng/gitlab-settings/-/merge_requests/77

disable usage_ping

brennen moved this task from Backlog to Radar on the User-brennen board.Aug 7 2025, 9:28 PM

Thanks for investigating! usage_ping change LGTM.

CodeReviewBot added a comment.Aug 11 2025, 7:33 AM

jelto merged https://gitlab.wikimedia.org/repos/releng/gitlab-settings/-/merge_requests/77

disable usage_ping

Stashbot added a comment.Aug 11 2025, 8:03 AM

Mentioned in SAL (#wikimedia-releng) [2025-08-11T08:03:30Z] <jelto> update gitlab-settings on all instances - T401352

Jelto closed this task as Resolved.Aug 11 2025, 8:06 AM
Jelto claimed this task.
Jelto triaged this task as Medium priority.

usage_ping and event collection are disabled on all instances now. I'll check the settings-api occasionally for the event collection setting so we can also persist this setting into code. But for now this should be fine.

I'll resolve the task.

Maintenance_bot removed a project: Patch-For-Review.Aug 11 2025, 8:30 AM
Dzahn awarded a token.Aug 11 2025, 4:01 PM
Content licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 unless otherwise noted; code licensed under GNU General Public License (GPL) 2.0 or later and other open source licenses. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Code of Conduct. · Wikimedia Foundation · Privacy Policy · Code of Conduct · Terms of Use · Disclaimer · CC-BY-SA · GPL · Credits