Amazon says it no longer uses NDAs with local governments for data centre projects
AWS chief Matt Garman made the pledge in a post defending data centres as backlash and moratoriums grow. Microsoft made a similar move earlier this year.
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- Editor approvalMayank Sahu · 12 Oct, 13:57
- Published12 Oct, 13:57
In short
In a post on 2 October 2026, AWS chief executive Matt Garman said Amazon no longer uses non-disclosure agreements with the government agencies it works with on data centre projects. The post defends data centres on water, power prices and local taxes as opposition grows.
What Amazon said
“We no longer use nondisclosure agreements with the government agencies we work with on our projects,” AWS chief executive Matt Garman wrote in an Amazon post on 2 October 2026.12 TechCrunch notes the pledge was one sentence in a longer post arguing that data centres benefit their communities.2
Why it matters
Secrecy is one of the main complaints from people opposing new data centres, which are being built at speed to run AI.2 New York State announced a one-year moratorium on permits for large data centres, and Garman said more than 100 moratoriums are being considered across the US.2 Microsoft announced it would end NDAs with local governments earlier in 2026.2
Amazon’s other commitments
Amazon says it aims for its data centres’ energy payments to cover energy and grid-upgrade costs so local bills do not rise, will publish yearly data on energy, water and carbon-free power, and plans more than $1 billion in extra community investment over five years in the US.1
Amazon’s numbers
Amazon says its average data centre uses under 13,000 gallons of water a day and that data centres account for about 0.5% of direct US industrial water use.1 It says backup generators are idle about 99.9% of the time.1 These are Amazon’s own figures.
What critics point out
TechCrunch notes that water-use claims often leave out water used to generate electricity and make chips, and that a planned Amazon data centre in Texas is permitted to emit 33 million tons of CO2 a year.2 Permitted limits are maximums; Garman argues generators almost never run.2
What it means
Ending NDAs makes it easier for residents to see deals before they are approved. Whether that eases local opposition is still open.
Fact ledger
How labels workQuestions readers ask
Has Amazon stopped using NDAs for data centres?
AWS CEO Matt Garman says Amazon no longer uses NDAs with the government agencies it works with on its projects.
Why do NDAs matter here?
Residents and officials have complained that data centre deals were negotiated in secret before the public knew.
Are Amazon’s water figures independent?
No. They are Amazon’s own figures.