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Atlassian’s Responsible Technology Principles


At Atlassian, our mission is to unleash the potential of every team. The software products that we build are meant to do just that: Fast-track collaboration and empower teams of all sizes, industries, and expertise.

Technology is the tool that we (and our customers) use to drive our missions forward. It is the means, not the end. In other words, we are excited about technology not because of what it is, but rather what it can do — and what it helps teams get done.

We also know that viewing technology as a tool does not mean that it is neutral. Technologies (and the data that power them) are a reflection of our societies, values and behaviours. We know that these systems are not perfect, and so we cannot expect the technology we build within them to be. If we truly want to empower teams and contribute to better outcomes across our communities, we have to take accountability for using and thinking about technology responsibly.

We live Atlassian’s mission and values in everything we do. We seek to uphold those values when it comes to understanding what it means to act responsibly in building, deploying and using new technologies. In the spirit of our values, we wanted to share the principles that we use to guide our work and decision-making in this space.

Importantly, this is only our first step. Just as building software is an iterative process, these principles are being released as our MVP (minimum viable product). Collectively, we’re at a critical moment for new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). We don’t want to let perfection be the enemy of progress, and we also believe that no one company can solve this challenge alone. And so we are being open about our early efforts, and we invite feedback and collaboration. As we embed these principles within Atlassian and share with companies and stakeholders, we will learn, iterate, and improve.

In that same collaborative spirit, we’re open-sourcing the framework we use internally to ensure we’re being thoughtful about our development and use of new technology. Read more about our approach to responsible technology reviews and share it with your teams.


Bull's head with a red "X" crossing it out

Open communication, no bullshit

Openness is foundational to Atlassian — one of our core values is Open Company, No Bullshit. It’s important that anyone who wants to make the most of new technologies is equipped with the right information to do so.

We know that transparency alone isn’t enough. But as a start, we will communicate information about our products and their benefits, including what they can and cannot do. We’ll let you know when and how we use new technologies like AI, and how this contributes to the way that you experience our company and products. As always, we will provide consistent information around who can access your data and for which purposes. And we’ll do all of this in a clear, simple and straightforward way: no BS.


Lock in the shape of a shield with a key inserted in the keyhole

Build for trust

Trust is at the heart of our work and our products: if someone doesn’t trust our company, they won’t use our products or want to work here. This extends to the technologies that underpin and power our products and our work.

We know that trust is not just about ensuring the security and privacy of our products, but is also earned and kept through our actions and commitments to reliability and performance.

So, we incorporate our privacy principles into the development and use of our technologies, including by embracing privacy by design in everything we do. In line with these practices, we seek to empower you with choices around the use of data and AI-powered tools. Similarly, we will continue to build security into the fabric of our technologies and processes, through our holistic approach based on industry best practice.

We will build on these commitments by working with our customers and partners where we can to uphold and improve the quality, security and reliability of the new technologies that we use and deploy.


Blue team sports jersey with a #1 on the front

Accountability is a team sport

At Atlassian, we know a thing or two about collaboration and teamwork. Our products are powered by our own people, upon the foundational technologies that we use to deliver them — and, of course, by how our customers' teams choose to use them.

While we take ownership over our technologies, true accountability is a team sport.

We see you as part of the team. We are committed to putting in place processes that help us to obtain feedback from our stakeholders and take guidance from experts, internally and externally. We encourage our customers to tell us if something has gone wrong. In those cases, we will investigate and work to fix it. We will also continue to share, participate, educate and learn from others as circumstances (and standards) evolve — and focus on inspiring others to act too.


Planet earth

Empower all humans

At Atlassian, we want our company and our technologies to be open, inclusive, fair and just: to reflect the human-centric values and fundamental human rights that we all share. Our journey to build responsibly reflects this aim.

We work for social and environmental progress in whatever we do, which includes a commitment to respect human rights; to invest in the diversity, equity, and inclusion of our teams and larger ecosystem; and to make Atlassian products and experiences fully Accessible and usable for everyone.

In line with these commitments, we will assess the potential impacts of our technology on the people who use our products and services or are affected by them. We will strive to identify and mitigate unfair and unjust outcomes on individuals and groups by understanding where these outcomes may arise.


Light bulb

Unleash potential (not inequity)

We know that behind every great human achievement, there is a team. We also believe that new technologies can help empower those teams to achieve even more. If we use these technologies (like AI) responsibly and intentionally, then we can supercharge this vision and contribute to better outcomes across our communities.

We seek to empower teams within Atlassian and our customers in their use of technology. We will look at new technologies through the lens of how they can add value for every team member, and identify ways in which this value can be distributed equitably and accessibly across teams. If a potential use of that technology doesn’t achieve that balance, it may require a rethink. Ultimately, we want to manage our use of new technologies to ensure that they contribute to driving growth, prosperity and more beneficial outcomes across society.


These Principles are a pledge to uphold the commitments we make above and hold us accountable for them. We will use them to guide our work, decision-making, and communications on the use of responsible technology.

In line with the principle “Accountability is a team sport,” we believe that this is a shared task. Every Atlassian has a responsibility to hold each other to these promises and uphold our value of “Be the change you seek.” And we invite you to join us: If you or your organisation have feedback, please contact us at sustainability@atlassian.com. We look forward to engaging with all stakeholders on how to build the world we want to live in.


We also invite you to read more about our open-sourced framework to ensure we’re being thoughtful about our development and use of new technology. We'd love to have you alongside us on this journey!

Atlassian’s No BS Guide to Responsible Technology Reviews whitepaper cover image

Our No BS Guide to Responsible Technology Reviews

This is our approach to embedding responsible technology as a practice. You’ll learn the “why” and “how” of a responsible technology review using our Responsible Technology Review Template, as well as what’s next. We hope this gives you the tools to start embedding responsible technology practices within your teams.

Read it here: Our No BS Guide to Responsible Technology Reviews

Responsible Technology Review Template whitepaper cover image

Responsible Technology Review Template

Grab a copy of the Responsible Technology Review Template described in the guide to use directly with your teams.

Download it here: Responsible Technology Review Template