Premium customers: can we opt out of metadata contribution without Enterprise?

[Cameron Farrier]

I’m trying to understand Atlassian’s upcoming data contribution changes for customers whose highest active plan is Premium. Atlassian says these changes take effect on August 17, 2026.

Based on the documentation, the default for Premium is:

• Metadata: On

• In-app data: Off

Atlassian also says:

• Enterprise customers can opt out of metadata contribution, but

• Free, Standard, and Premium customers cannot opt out of metadata contribution because it is always on.

That seems to mean a Premium customer may be able to opt out of in-app data contribution, but not metadata contribution, even though Atlassian says metadata can include content attributes, common patterns, search activity, Rovo Chat patterns, and certain custom configuration data.

If that reading is correct, I think a few points need clarification:

1. Is Enterprise really the only standard way to fully opt out of metadata contribution?

2. If a Premium customer disables all available in-app data contribution settings, what data can still be used under metadata contribution?

3. How broad is “metadata” in practice? Does it include search queries, workflow/status naming patterns, custom field patterns, Rovo Chat prompts/responses, and other admin/configuration-derived signals?

4. Are there any non-Enterprise exceptions (contractual, compliance-based, or policy-based) for customers who do not want their metadata used to improve apps and experiences for all customers?

The core concern is simple: if a Premium customer does not want Atlassian using either in-app data or metadata to improve apps and AI experiences for all customers, is there any path to do that without upgrading to Enterprise?

[Arend Feenstra]

Hi @Cameron Farrier 

I am also researching what exactly is changing and what impact this has involved our organisation and customers.  Due to the changed policy, Atlassian should be able to share more information about the right migration paths. In particular, what is exactly collected in the collection of Metadata. 

This webinar might be interesting — users could register at the end of April for a webinar by Atlassian. @Atlassian, can you share more information about what exactly is changing in the policy. 

https://webinars.atlassian.com/atlassian/emea-atlassian-s-updated-data-practices-what-s-changing-and-how-it-impacts-you-84a2f1bbae64?bmid=c744b8934aec&bma=353c86e4cd85&bmi=681a24250004&bmid_type=member

Who can provide legal assistance regarding whether the new policy complies with AVG/GDPR European guidelines? Collecting data for 7 years seems excessive to me, especially when it concerns meta-app data.

Best regards

Arend

[Cameron Farrier]

Thanks, Arend.

I’m glad you raised the same concern from the EU/GDPR angle as well. You called out a few of the exact gaps I’m trying to understand too: what Atlassian means by metadata in practice, what the actual migration or decision paths are for non-Enterprise customers, and whether the retention period and resulting use align with customer expectations and compliance obligations.

The webinar reference is helpful. Even with that, I still think Atlassian should publish a much more concrete breakdown that answers questions like:

• what specific data elements are treated as metadata
• which of those elements remain on for Premium customers even when in-app contribution is disabled
• whether search activity, naming patterns, admin/configuration-derived signals, and Rovo interaction patterns are included
• whether there is any non-Enterprise path for customers with compliance concerns for opting-out of metadata contributions

If Atlassian is monitoring this thread, a direct clarification on those points would be very helpful for admins trying to evaluate risk, governance, and customer impact.

[Claus Østergaard Pedersen]

Hi  @Cameron Farrier 

I very much agree with your thoughts, and share your worries about compliance.

The only information about opting out of the metadata sharing, I have been able to find, as a non Enterprise user, is the following:

Additionally, we do not use metadata and in-app data from Atlassian organizations with HIPAA compliance or from other certain government and financial services customers.

If your Atlassian organization falls into one of the above categories, it is excluded from data contribution, and none of its metadata or in‑app data is used for data contribution.

The above commes from the following page: https://support.atlassian.com/security-and-access-policies/docs/data-contribution-settings-availability/ 

How to get "approved" as being an organization that fits the requirements, I unfortunately do not know.

Please share if you find any additional information.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards

Claus

[Cameron Farrier]

Thanks, Claus. I appreciate you pointing to that exception language. The note you found seems to confirm there may be some exclusions for HIPAA-compliant organizations and certain government or financial services customers, even though the general guidance appears to say Free, Standard, and Premium customers cannot opt out of metadata contribution.

That creates a follow-up question that still does not seem clearly answered: how does a customer actually determine whether they qualify for one of those exclusions, and what is the process for having that recognized by Atlassian?

At a minimum, I would hope Atlassian could clarify:

• the exact eligibility criteria for those exclusions
• whether they are automatic or require a request/review process
• who customers should contact to evaluate eligibility
• whether similar accommodations exist for other compliance-driven customers on Premium

If I find anything more concrete, I’ll add it here as well.

[Arend Feenstra]

@Cameron Farrier an @Claus Østergaard Pedersen  Excellent to read, in that case we could possibly start a collective, with multiple individuals or organizations experiencing the same concerns. I am also active in other legal communities, where I have raised the same concerns. Vendors have a transparency obligation, including under the upcoming EU AI Act (August 2, 2026), to disclose what data is being collected and for what purpose.

[Cameron Farrier]

Appreciate the thoughtful responses so far. The replies here reinforce that the main issue is not just whether a setting exists, but whether customers can get a precise and operational definition of metadata contribution for Premium environments.

For Atlassian, I think the most helpful next step would be a direct answer to a few narrow questions:

• Is Enterprise truly the only standard path to fully disable metadata contribution?
• For Premium customers who disable all available in-app contribution settings, what data still remains in scope under metadata contribution?
• Are search activity, naming patterns, workflow/configuration patterns, and Rovo interaction patterns included in that scope?
• What specific exclusion path exists for compliance-sensitive customers that do not have Enterprise, if any?

I’m hoping Atlassian can clarify this publicly, since it seems likely a number of admins are trying to answer the same governance and compliance questions right now. Considering the data contribution settings were just made available last week- it would be helpful to understand what other levers of control (if any) will be made available to admin teams between now and the effective date approaching in August.