Amazon says it will stop using NDAs when negotiating data center deals with local governments, following a similar move by Microsoft earlier this year.
Amazon will no longer require non-disclosure agreements in its negotiations with local governments over data center siting, tax incentives, and power deals. Microsoft made a comparable move earlier this year, and the shift comes as secrecy around AI infrastructure projects has fueled community backlash over power consumption, water use, and local costs.
The pullback from NDAs doesn't change the underlying economics of these deals, but it does change what communities and journalists can scrutinize before projects are approved.
Transparency on data center deals is becoming table stakes rather than a competitive differentiator, and hyperscalers that resist will face sharper local opposition and permitting delays. For operators planning AI infrastructure investment, community trust is now a line item in project timelines, not an afterthought.
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