Public Policy

Our Mission

The Public Policy function enables GitLab to compete and innovate as freely as possible while advocating for sound governance that benefits our customers and the broader technology community. We do so by:

• Anticipating & Analyzing: Providing advance notice and analysis of relevant global policy developments and collaborating cross-functionally to guide necessary internal preparations or responses.
• Advocating & Shaping: Proactively engaging with industry peers and policymakers to inform policy development in ways that support innovation, enhance security, and benefit our customers.
• Building Trust & Credibility: Establishing GitLab as a trusted partner to policymakers by leveraging our unique perspective as the most comprehensive, intelligent DevSecOps platform for software innovation and our experience as a global, all-remote organization that serves diverse markets and communities.

Our Approach

Situated within GitLab’s Legal and Corporate Affairs Team (LACA), GitLab’s Public Policy team serves as GitLab’s primary interface with policymakers, and advocates for policies that enable innovation while addressing governments’ legitimate security, privacy, and governance objectives. While we collaborate with GitLab’s Public Sector team on shared objectives, our focus is on policy advocacy rather than government sales.

The Public Policy team supports practical government policies that recognize the unique value of open source development and the critical role of intelligent DevSecOps platforms in modern digital infrastructure.

We focus on public policy areas including artificial intelligence governance; customer choice and public sector modernization; privacy, cybersecurity, and data governance; open source software policy; and sustainability. Our advocacy emphasizes that effective policy should:

• Support competitive markets that drive innovation and customer value
• Recognize the security benefits of transparency and community review inherent in open source approaches
• Promote transparent and ethical approaches to the development and deployment of AI models and systems
• Enable organizations to maintain control over their technology choices and implementation
• Foster international cooperation and interoperability in digital governance

How we support GitLab

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• The Public Policy team works closely with Legal, Security, Product, and other functions to ensure policy considerations are integrated into business planning and that GitLab’s positions reflect our values and customer needs.

Policy Intelligence and Early Warning

• We provide early warning of changes that may affect GitLab’s business or customers and enable proactive preparation for regulatory compliance requirements.

Thought Leadership and Communications

• The team develops position papers, regulatory submissions, policy briefs, and other materials that establish GitLab as a trusted voice in policy debates, help shape new technology policies, and support the company’s broader business, communications and marketing objectives.

Customer and Partner Support

• We provide policy expertise to support customer conversations and help partners understand the policy landscape affecting their use of GitLab.

External Organization and Partnership Management

In addition to direct engagement with regulators and lawmakers, the Public Policy team serves as GitLab’s primary interface with policy-focused external organizations, trade associations, and non-profit organizations. Our external engagement strategy focuses on:

Industry Associations and Coalitions

We coordinate GitLab’s participation in technology industry associations to amplify GitLab’s voice in policy discussions and coordinate with industry peers on shared priorities. Current and target memberships include organizations focused on technology innovation, open source advocacy, and digital governance.

Government Relations

The team manages GitLab’s relationships with government stakeholders, including regulators and lawmakers. We provide subject matter expertise to support government understanding of DevSecOps technologies and serve as a resource for policymakers working on technology-related legislation and regulation.

International Organizations

We engage with international organizations and multi-stakeholder initiatives on policy issues affecting the global technology sector, including organizations such as the United Nations, to contribute to discussions on digital governance, technology policy, and international cooperation.

Non-profit and Academic Partnerships

We collaborate with foundations, academic institutions and other policy-focused non-profit organizations to contribute to the evidence base for effective technology policy and promote the understanding of software development security and efficiency.

How to Reach Us

General Inquiries

For general questions about GitLab’s policy positions or regulatory developments affecting the technology sector, reach out via email to publicpolicy@gitlab.com.

External Engagement Requests

If you receive requests from government officials or policy organizations seeking GitLab’s input, or if you identify opportunities for policy engagement, please forward these to publicpolicy@gitlab.com or create an issue in the Legal and Compliance project.

Media and Speaking Opportunities

For media requests or external speaking opportunities, please reach out to press@gitlab.com or via Slack in the #external-comms channel before engaging.

Get Involved

Policy Input and Feedback

Team members in different markets are valuable sources of intelligence about local and regional policy developments. We encourage GitLab team members to share insights about regulatory developments or policy issues affecting their work or customers. Your expertise helps inform our advocacy priorities and positions.

Customer Policy Insights

If you interact with customers facing regulatory challenges or policy uncertainty, please share these insights with the Public Policy team. Customer experiences help us understand the real-world impact of policy developments and inform our advocacy.

For additional information about GitLab’s Public Policy function or to suggest improvements to this handbook page, please reach out via the channels listed above.