Nondisclosure Agreements Conceal Data Center Negotiations From Public

Why it matters locally: North Carolina has seen significant data center development, and the use of NDAs in negotiating such projects could obscure public access to information about potential environmental, infrastructure, and economic impacts within the state.

Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) have concealed negotiations between a technology company and local and state officials concerning a data center project. This practice has occurred in other data center development deals across the country. Shannon McManus, a former sheriff's deputy, observed the data center construction site in Boyce, Louisiana, last month. McManus is one of the local residents who have voiced objections to the use of nondisclosure agreements during the project's negotiation phase.