GitHub will start paying some bug bounty hunters in swag instead of cash

GitHub is tightening its bug bounty policy by demanding stronger proof-of-concept validation and clearer evidence of impact.

Some lower-severity findings may now earn swag instead of cash as GitHub tries to cut down on speculative submissions.

The change comes amid a surge of AI-assisted vulnerability reports that have increased triage pressure across security teams.

The move highlights a broader shift in bug bounty programs as companies raise standards to handle higher report volume.