Research note
Research note: Amazon says it no longer uses NDAs with local governments for data centre projects
How we checked Amazon’s NDA pledge against its own post and TechCrunch, and which data centre figures are Amazon’s claims.
What we set out to check
Exactly what Amazon said about NDAs, what else it committed to, and which of its numbers are its own claims.
What we found
- Amazon’s post contains the NDA sentence word for word.
- The commitments and water and generator figures come from Amazon.
- TechCrunch adds context: moratoriums, Microsoft’s earlier move, and points critics raise.
Numbers that differ
None between the sources. The “more than 100 moratoriums” figure is Garman’s, reported by TechCrunch.
Labels we chose and why
- Confirmed for Amazon’s own pledge and commitments.
- Company claim for Amazon’s figures and Garman’s moratorium count.
- Unconfirmed for Microsoft’s earlier move, which we did not check at the source.
What we could not verify
- Independent figures for Amazon’s water use.
- Whether all existing NDAs have ended or only new ones.
What we searched
- Amazon no longer uses NDAs data centers
- Matt Garman data centers built together
- data center moratoriums US 2026
Every source we read
| Source | Used? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon post | USED | Primary source for the NDA sentence, commitments and figures. |
| TechCrunch | USED | Independent report with context and critical points. |
| TechCrunch podcast write-up | NOT USED | Discussion of the same news; used only as background on Microsoft’s similar move. |