---
title: "Amazon says it no longer uses NDAs with local governments for data centre projects"
url: https://anawords.com/story/amazon-ends-data-centre-ndas-local-governments
published: 2026-10-12T13:57:35+05:30
updated: 2026-10-12T13:57:35+05:30
section: Chips & Compute
author: Mayank Sahu
checked: sources checked by AI, approved by editor
version: 1
---

# 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.

**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.[^1][^2] 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

- [Confirmed] Amazon says it no longer uses NDAs with government agencies on data centre projects. (source 1,2)
- [Unconfirmed] Microsoft announced it would end such NDAs earlier in 2026. (source 2)
- [Company claim] More than 100 data centre moratoriums are under consideration in the US. (source 2)
- [Company claim] Amazon’s average data centre uses under 13,000 gallons of water a day. (source 1)
- [Confirmed] Amazon will publish annual data on energy, water and carbon-free power. (source 1)

## Sources

1. [Amazon: Data centers built together (Matt Garman)](https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-data-centers-built-together) — official
2. [TechCrunch: Amazon responds to data center backlash, says it no longer uses NDAs](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/03/amazon-responds-to-data-center-backlash-says-it-no-longer-uses-ndas/)