Amazon says it will no longer use non-disclosure agreements when negotiating data center projects with local governments; Microsoft made a similar announcement earlier in 2026.
TechCrunch’s Sean O’Kane says that in some cases the public may know a facility is being discussed without knowing which company is behind it.
The article also covers concerns raised about property prices, electricity bills and water use, without treating them as confirmed effects.
On TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Anthony Ha, Sean O’Kane, and Rebecca Bellan discussed the announcement. O’Kane said that negotiations for many projects are essentially done in secret. In some cases, the public knows that a data center is being discussed, but it doesn’t know which company will use it or house it. He said that secrecy can make it easier for companies to ask for other concessions.
O'Kane also raised concerns about potential impacts on property prices, electricity bills and water usage. The discussion did not confirm that these impacts are occurring.
Bellan said temporary moratoriums or bans have been approved for data centers, including a recent one in San Francisco. Many of these measures last about a year or two. However, data centers may not start operating for two to five years, and construction may be delayed for reasons such as site selection and financing. Bellan said ongoing public backlash could affect projects, but she questioned how big that impact would be.
Ha also mentioned a one-year moratorium on permits for large data center projects in New York. The moratorium is in effect until an environmental review process, which was expected to take a year, is finalized. He said that removing confidentiality agreements won’t automatically make critics support the projects, but it could start a conversation.
O'Kane said that technology companies are not explaining to the public well what AI and data centers offer. He said the dissatisfaction stems partly from that lack of explanation and partly from the fact that the technology doesn't always deliver what it promises. Ha added that companies need to explain why their projects are needed, rather than portraying the spread of AI as inevitable.
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