Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent letters Tuesday, Sept.29, to Amazon, Google parent Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Oracle seeking information on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) signed with government officials related to data center build-outs, according to copies viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Raskin wrote that residents cannot weigh a subject’s costs against its benefits, hold officials accountable, or safeguard resources when basic terms are kept secret, according to the report. He demanded detailed information on each company’s data center portfolio and use of the agreements [7].
Amazon claims it no longer uses NDAs with government collaborators on data center projects, according to the report. Google, Meta, and Oracle did not immediately comment [7].
The letters mark an escalation in congressional scrutiny of an industry that has expanded rapidly across the country. The requests focus specifically on agreements that shield the terms of data center deals from public view [7].
Local and State Officials Cite Secrecy in Opposition
Local communities have cited non-disclosure agreements and secrecy surrounding data center plans as a major reason they oppose the facilities, which many blame for pushing up power prices and consuming large amounts of water [7].
Data centers are being sited across the United States without meaningful public input, a pattern documented in states such as Utah, where the three-member Box Elder County Commission voted unanimously to greenlight a 40,000-acre hyperscale project before residents could weigh in [1].
The backlash has become a measurable force. Local opposition disrupted at least 45 proposed U.S. data center developments worth nearly $68 billion between April and June 2026, according to Data Center Watch, a research project operated by AI intelligence company 10a Labs. The sustained resistance now spans 49 states with 843 active opposition groups, according to the same research.
Data centers have become a flashpoint in key races including Ohio, Michigan, and Texas, where states have taken steps to cut tax exemptions worth billions of dollars. A new Wall Street Journal poll found that 62% of voters support pausing data-center development, according to the report.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro banned the agreements in an executive order in August, and several states have introduced bills to ban data-center NDAs. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the state’s environmental watchdog to withhold permits for new data centers until an audit of risks to the power grid is complete, according to ZeroHedge [2].
