Gitlab (GTLB) Risk Analysis

Our industry is characterized by rapid technological change and evolving customer requirements. Our success depends on our ability to enhance our existing solutions and introduce new features and products in a timely manner. If we fail to develop offerings that meet customer needs or if delays occur in deploying upgrades or new solutions, our competitive position could weaken. This may lead to reduced revenue and negatively impact our overall operating results.

We receive, store and process personal data and other customer data. There are numerous federal, state, local and foreign laws regarding privacy and the storing, sharing, access, use, processing, disclosure and protection of personal data and other customer data, the scope of which is changing, subject to differing interpretations, and which may be inconsistent among countries or conflict with other rules. With respect to E.U. and U.K. team members, contractors and other personnel, as well as for our customers' and prospective customers' personal data, such as contact and business information, we are subject to the GDPR and applicable national implementing legislation of the GDPR, and the U.K. General Data Protection Regulation and U.K. Data Protection Act 2018, or the U.K. GDPR, respectively. We are a controller with respect to this data. The GDPR and U.K. GDPR impose stringent data protection requirements and, where we are acting as a controller, includes requirements to: provide detailed disclosures about how personal data is collected and processed (in a concise, intelligible and easily accessible form); demonstrate that an appropriate legal basis is in place or otherwise exists to justify data processing activities; grant rights for data subjects in regard to their personal data including the right to be "forgotten," the right to data portability, the right to correct personal data, and the right to access personal data; notify data protection regulators or supervisory authorities (and in certain cases, affected individuals) of significant data breaches; define pseudonymized (key-coded) data; limit the retention of personal data; maintain a record of data processing; and comply with the principle of accountability and the obligation to demonstrate compliance through policies, procedures, trainings and audits. Where we act as a processor and process personal data on behalf of our customers, we are required to execute mandatory data processing clauses with those customers and maintain a record of data processing, among other requirements under the GDPR and U.K. GDPR. The GDPR and U.K. GDPR provide for penalties for noncompliance of up to the greater of €20 million or 4% of worldwide annual revenues (in the case of the GDPR) or £17 million and 4% of worldwide annual revenue (in the case of the U.K. GDPR). As we are required to comply with both the GDPR and the U.K. GDPR, we could be subject to parallel enforcement actions with respect to breaches of the GDPR or U.K. GDPR which affects both E.U. and U.K. data subjects. In addition to the foregoing, a breach of the GDPR or U.K. GDPR could result in regulatory investigations, reputational damage, orders to cease or change our processing of our personal data, enforcement notices, and/or assessment notices (for a compulsory audit). We may also face civil claims including representative actions and other class action type litigation (where individuals have suffered harm), potentially amounting to significant compensation or damages liabilities, as well as associated costs, diversion of internal resources, and reputational harm. The GDPR and U.K. GDPR requires, among other things, that personal data only be transferred outside of the European Economic Area, or the E.E.A., or the U.K., respectively, to jurisdictions that have not been deemed adequate by the European Commission or by the U.K. data protection regulator, respectively, including the United States, if certain safeguards are taken to legitimize those data transfers. Legal developments in the E.U. have resulted in complexity and uncertainty regarding such transfers. For example, the European Court of Justice, or the CJEU, has previously advised that the Standard Contractual Clauses (a standard form of contract approved by the European Commission as an adequate personal data transfer mechanism) are not alone sufficient to protect data transferred to the United States or other countries not deemed adequate and the current E.U.-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, or the DPF, which permits certified U.S.-based organizations to receive transfers of personal data from the E.E.A. and the U.K, has previously been subject to proposed legal challenges before the CJEU. Thus, the Standard Contractual Clauses remain an important data transfer mechanism for transfers to countries outside of the E.E.A. and the U.K., but the use of Standard Contractual Clauses must still be assessed on a case-by-case basis taking into account the legal regime applicable in the destination country, in particular applicable surveillance laws and rights of individuals, and additional measures and/or contractual provisions may need to be put in place. The European Data Protection Board has also issued a decision imposing higher burdens on the use of data transfer mechanisms, such as the Standard Contractual Clauses, for cross-border data transfers and the CJEU has stated that if a competent supervisory authority believes that the Standard Contractual Clauses cannot be complied with in the destination country and that the required level of protection cannot be secured by other means, such supervisory authority is under an obligation to suspend or prohibit that transfer. Since the decision by the CJEU, supervisory authorities, including the CNIL and the Austrian Data Protection Authority, are now looking at cross-border transfers more closely, and have publicly stated that the transfer of data to the United States using certain analytics tools is illegal. While these decisions related specifically to analytics tools and may be inapplicable to organizations certified under the DPF, it has been suggested that it is far-reaching and applies to any transfer of E.U. personal data to the United States. We will continue to monitor this situation, and evaluate and utilize, where appropriate, all data transfer mechanisms available to us, but this may require the removal of tools from our services and websites where data is transferred from the E.U. to the United States, or impact the manner in which we provide our services, which could adversely affect our business. We are also subject to evolving E.U. and U.K. privacy laws on cookies and e-marketing. In the E.U. and the U.K., regulators are increasingly focusing on compliance with requirements in the online behavioral advertising ecosystem, and current national laws that implement the ePrivacy Directive may increase fines for non-compliance. In the E.U. and the U.K., informed consent is required for the placement of a cookie or similar technologies on a user's device and for direct electronic marketing. The U.K. GDPR also imposes conditions on obtaining valid consent, such as a prohibition on pre-checked consents and a requirement to ensure separate consents are sought for each type of cookie or similar technology. Further, a recent European court decision and regulators' recent guidance are driving increased attention to cookies and tracking technologies. If regulators start to enforce the strict approach in recent guidance, this could lead to substantial costs, limit the effectiveness of our marketing activities, divert the attention of our technology personnel, adversely affect our margins, increase costs and subject us to additional liabilities. Regulation of cookies and similar technologies, and any decline of cookies or similar online tracking technologies as a means to identify and potentially target users, may lead to broader restrictions and impairments on our marketing and personalization activities and may negatively impact our efforts to understand users. We depend on a number of third parties in relation to the operation of our business, a number of which process personal data on our behalf or as our sub-processor. To the extent required by applicable law, we attempt to mitigate the associated risks of using third parties by performing security assessments and detailed due diligence, entering into contractual arrangements to ensure that providers only process personal data according to our instructions or equivalent instructions to that of our customer (as applicable), and that they have sufficient technical and organizational security measures in place. Where we transfer personal data outside the E.U. or the U.K. to such third parties, we do so in compliance with the relevant data export requirements, as described above. There is no assurance that these contractual measures and our own privacy and security-related safeguards will protect us from the risks associated with the third-party processing, storage and transmission of such information. Any violation of data or security laws by our third-party processors could have a material adverse effect on our business and result in the fines and penalties under the GDPR and the U.K. GDPR outlined above. Additionally, we are subject to the CCPA, as expanded by the California Privacy Rights Act, or the CPRA, which increases privacy rights for California consumers and imposes obligations on companies that process their personal data. The CCPA requires covered companies to, among other things, provide new disclosures to California consumers and affords such consumers new privacy rights such as the ability to opt out of certain sales of personal data and expanded rights to access and deletion of their personal data, opt out of certain personal data sharing, and receive detailed information about how their personal data is collected, used and shared. The CCPA provides for civil penalties for violations, as well as a private right of action for security breaches that may increase the likelihood of, and the risks associated with, security breach litigation and the CPRA expanded consumers' rights with respect to certain personal data and established a state agency to oversee implementation and enforcement efforts, potentially resulting in further uncertainty and requiring us to incur additional costs and expenses in an effort to comply. The CCPA has also prompted a number of passed laws and proposals for new federal and state privacy legislation that, if passed, could increase our potential liability and compliance costs, particularly in the event of a data breach, and adversely affect our business, including how we use personal data, our financial condition, and the results of our operations or prospects. Compliance with privacy legislation adds complexity and has required and may in the future require investment in additional resources for compliance programs, thus potentially resulting in additional costs and expense of resources to maintain compliance. Changing definitions of personal data and information may also limit or inhibit our ability to operate or expand our business, including limiting strategic partnerships that may involve the sharing of data. Also, some jurisdictions require that certain types of data be retained on servers within these jurisdictions. Our failure to comply with applicable laws, directives, and regulations may result in enforcement action against us, including fines, and damage to our reputation, any of which may have an adverse effect on our business and operating results. We are also currently subject to China's Personal Information Protection Law, or PIPL, which came into effect in November 2021 and which increases the protections of Chinese residents. In particular, the law is intended to protect the rights and interests of individuals, to regulate personal data processing activities, to safeguard the lawful and "orderly flow" of data, and to facilitate reasonable use of personal data. Our failure to comply with the PIPL may result in enforcement action against us, including fines, and damage to our reputation, any of which may have an adverse effect on our business and operating results. Also, the Cyberspace Administration of China has developed measures to govern cross-border transfers of personal data, such as security assessments, certifications, and Standard Contractual Clauses, all of which may impact our ability to transact with customers with operations in China. To reduce the impact of PIPL, we are in the process of transitioning certain users who are resident in China to our JiHu entity. Further, we are subject to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI-DSS, a security standard applicable to companies that collect, store or transmit certain data regarding credit and debit cards, holders and transactions. We rely on vendors to handle PCI-DSS matters and to ensure PCI-DSS compliance. Despite our compliance efforts, we may become subject to claims that we have violated the PCI-DSS based on past, present, and future business practices. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with the PCI-DSS can subject us to fines, termination of banking relationships, and increased transaction fees. In addition, there is no guarantee that PCI-DSS compliance will prevent illegal or improper use of our payment systems or the theft, loss or misuse of payment card data or transaction information. We generally seek to comply with industry standards and are subject to the terms of our privacy policies and privacy-related obligations to third parties. We strive to comply with all applicable laws, policies, legal obligations and industry codes of conduct relating to privacy and data protection to the extent possible. However, it is possible that these obligations may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another and may conflict with other rules or our practices. Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with applicable privacy and data security laws and regulations, our privacy policies, or our privacy-related obligations to users or other third parties, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release or transfer of personal data or other customer data, may result in governmental enforcement actions, litigation, or public statements against us by consumer advocacy groups or others and could cause our users to lose trust in us, which would have an adverse effect on our reputation and business. It is possible that a regulatory inquiry might result in changes to our policies or business practices. Violation of existing or future regulatory orders or consent decrees could subject us to substantial monetary fines and other penalties that could negatively affect our financial condition and operating results. In addition, it is possible that future orders issued by, or enforcement actions initiated by, regulatory authorities could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices in a manner materially adverse to our business. Any significant change to applicable laws, regulations or industry practices regarding the use or disclosure of our users' data, or regarding the manner in which the express or implied consent of users for the use and disclosure of such data is obtained – or in how these applicable laws, regulations or industry practices are interpreted and enforced by state, federal and international privacy regulators – could require us to modify our services and features, possibly in a material manner, may subject us to regulatory enforcement actions and fines, and may limit our ability to develop new services and features that make use of the data that our users voluntarily share with us. In addition to U.S. and foreign privacy laws, we are subject to a variety of new and evolving legal and regulatory requirements related to data, content, content moderation, and safety, such as the EU Digital Services Act, or DSA, which imposes obligations on hosting service providers including requirements related to content moderation, transparency reporting, and user complaint mechanisms. Similar platform regulations have been enacted in other jurisdictions, including the UK. Compliance with the DSA and similar laws could subject us to increased compliance costs and operational requirements, and includes significant penalties for non-compliance of up to 6% of global annual turnover and provides for the ability of civil society organizations and non-governmental organizations to commence class action lawsuits. The interpretation and enforcement of these requirements remain subject to uncertainty, and failure to comply could result in fines, enforcement actions, or limitations on our ability to operate in affected jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

In addition to our direct sales force, we rely on channel partners to market and support our products. These partners may become increasingly important, especially in enterprise, governmental, and international sales. If we are unable to identify, retain, and manage effective channel partners, or if partners do not prioritize our products and fail to represent us well, our market reach, sales, and ultimately our operating results may be adversely affected.

In February 2021, we partnered with two Chinese investment partners to form an independent company called GitLab Information Technology (Hubei) Co., Ltd. (??, pinyin: JiHu, pronounced Gee Who) which was formed to specifically serve the Chinese market. This company offers a dedicated distribution of The DevSecOps platform available as both a self-managed and SaaS that is only available in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The autonomous company has its own governance structure, management team, and business support functions including Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Legal, Human Relations and Customer Support. Our participation in this joint venture in China is subject to general, as well as industry-specific, economic, political, tax, and legal developments and risks in China. The Chinese government exercises significant control over the Chinese economy, including but not limited to controlling capital investments, allocating resources, setting monetary policy, controlling and monitoring foreign exchange rates,implementing and overseeing tax regulations, providing preferential treatment to certain industry segments or companies and issuing necessary licenses to conduct business. In addition, we could face additional risks resulting from changes in China's data privacy and cybersecurity requirements, including China's adoption of the Personal Information Protection Law, or PIPL, which went into effect on November 1, 2021. The PIPL shares similarities with the GDPR, including extraterritorial application, data minimization, data localization, and purpose limitation requirements, and obligations to provide certain notices and rights to citizens of China. Accordingly, any adverse change in the Chinese economy, the Chinese legal system or Chinese governmental, economic or other policies could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations in China and our prospects generally. We face additional risks in China due to China's historically limited recognition and enforcement of contractual and intellectual property rights. We may experience difficulty enforcing our intellectual property rights in China. Unauthorized use of our technologies and intellectual property rights by Chinese partners or competitors may dilute or undermine the strength of our brands. If we cannot adequately monitor the use of our technologies and products, or enforce our intellectual property rights in China or contractual restrictions relating to use of our intellectual property by Chinese companies, our revenue from JiHu could be adversely affected. Our joint venture is subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China. There are uncertainties regarding the interpretation and enforcement of laws, rules and policies in China. Because many laws and regulations are relatively new, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform. Moreover, the interpretation of statutes and regulations may be subject to government policies reflecting domestic political agendas. Enforcement of existing laws or contracts based on existing law may be uncertain and sporadic. As a result of the foregoing, it may be difficult for us to obtain swift or equitable enforcement of laws ostensibly designed to protect companies like ours, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Our ability to monetize our joint venture in China may also be limited. Although the joint venture entity is an autonomous company, it is the exclusive seller of GitLab in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau and is therefore the public face of GitLab in those areas. Additionally, under U.S. GAAP, we currently consolidate the joint venture's financials within our own and rely on the joint venture's management for accurate and timely delivery of the joint venture's financials. Therefore, we face reputational and brand risk as a result of any negative publicity faced by the joint venture entity. Any such reputational and brand risk can harm our business and operating results.

We plan to expand our operations internationally in the future. Outside of the United States, we currently have direct and indirect subsidiaries in Canada, Germany, France, India, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, and have team members in over 60 countries. We also have a joint venture in China. There are significant costs and risks inherent in conducting business in international markets, including: - establishing and maintaining effective controls at foreign locations and the associated increased costs;- adapting our technologies, products, and services to non-U.S. consumers' preferences and customs;- increased competition from local providers;- compliance with foreign laws and regulations;- adapting to doing business in other languages and/or cultures;- compliance with the laws of numerous taxing jurisdictions where we conduct business, potential double taxation of our international earnings, foreign tax withholding on intercompany transactions, and potentially adverse tax consequences due to U.S. and foreign tax laws as they relate to our international operations;- compliance with anti-bribery laws, such as the FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act, by us, our team members, our service providers, and our business partners;- difficulties in staffing and managing global operations and the increased travel, infrastructure, and compliance costs associated with multiple international locations;- complexity and other risks associated with current and future foreign legal requirements, including legal requirements related to data privacy frameworks, such as the GDPR and U.K. GDPR;- currency exchange rate fluctuations or limitations and related effects on our operating results;- economic and political instability in some countries, including the potential effects of health pandemics or epidemics and the ongoing armed conflicts in different regions of the world;- the uncertainty of protection for intellectual property rights in some countries and practical difficulties of enforcing rights abroad; and - other costs of doing business internationally. These factors and other factors could harm our international operations and, consequently, materially impact our business, operating results, and financial condition. Further, we may incur significant operating expenses as a result of our international expansion, which may not be successful. We have limited experience with regulatory environments and market practices internationally, and we may not be able to penetrate or successfully operate in new markets. If we are unable to continue to expand internationally and manage the complexity of our global operations successfully, our financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected.

Natural disasters, pandemics, and epidemics, or other catastrophic events such as fire or power shortages, along with man-made problems such as acts of war and terrorism, and other events beyond our control may cause damage or disruption to our operations, international commerce, and the global economy, and could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition. While we do not have a corporate headquarters, we have team members around the world, and any such catastrophic event could occur in areas where significant portions of our team members are located. Moreover, these conditions can affect the rate of software development operations solutions spending and could adversely affect our customers' ability or willingness to attend our events or to purchase our services, delay prospective customers' purchasing decisions or project implementation timing, reduce the value or duration of their subscription contracts, affect attrition rates, or result in requests from customers for payment or pricing concessions, all of which could adversely affect our future sales and operating results. As a result, we may experience extended sales cycles; our ability to close transactions with new and existing customers and partners may be negatively impacted; our ability to recognize revenue from software transactions we do close may be negatively impacted due to implementation delays or other factors; our demand generation activities, and the efficiency and effect of those activities, may be negatively affected. Recent macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, tariffs and volatile interest rates, have, and may continue to, put pressure on overall spending for our products and services, and may cause our customers to modify spending priorities or delay or abandon purchasing decisions, thereby lengthening sales cycles, and may make it difficult for us to forecast our sales and operating results and to make decisions about future investments. These and other potential effects on our business may be significant and could materially harm our business, operating results and financial condition. In the event of a natural disaster, including a major earthquake, blizzard, or hurricane, or a catastrophic event such as a fire, power loss, or telecommunications failure, we may be unable to continue our operations and may endure system interruptions, reputational harm, delays in development of our solutions, lengthy interruptions in service, breaches of data security, and loss of critical data, all of which could have an adverse effect on our future operating results. Additionally, all of the aforementioned risks may be further increased if we do not implement a disaster recovery plan or the disaster recovery plans we or our partners implement prove to be inadequate.

Revenue generated is primarily billed in U.S. dollars while expenses incurred by our international subsidiaries and activities are often denominated in the currencies of the local countries. As a result, our consolidated U.S. dollar financial statements are subject to fluctuations due to changes in exchange rates as the financial results of our international subsidiaries are translated from local currencies into U.S. dollars. Our financial results are also subject to changes in exchange rates that impact the settlement of transactions in non-local currencies. To date, we have not engaged in currency hedging activities to limit the risk of exchange fluctuations and, as a result, our financial condition and operating results could be adversely affected by such fluctuations. Our fixed-income investment portfolio is subject to fluctuations in fair value due to change in interest rates, which could adversely affect our results of operations due to any rise in interest rates in the future.