Amazon says it no longer requires NDAs for data center discussions

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has moved to counter mounting public criticism of its data center buildout, with the unit's chief executive saying the company no longer requires non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in discussions tied to new facilities, according to TechCrunch.

The comments come as data center projects across the United States have drawn increasing scrutiny from residents and local officials, who have raised concerns about the secrecy surrounding negotiations, as well as the strain the facilities can place on local power grids and water supplies. Large cloud providers have often sought confidentiality agreements when scouting sites or negotiating with utilities and municipalities, a practice critics say has made it harder for communities to understand or weigh in on projects before they are approved.

By publicly stating that NDAs are no longer part of its approach, AWS appears to be attempting to ease some of that friction and present its expansion as more transparent. The report did not detail what, if anything, will change procedurally in how AWS engages with local governments and communities going forward.

AWS is the largest cloud infrastructure provider in the world, and its continued expansion of data centers is central to meeting growing demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services. That growth has increasingly put the company's infrastructure plans under a public spotlight, with the NDA policy comments representing one of its more direct responses yet to the backlash.