# Amazon drops NDAs on data center deals after local backlash

> Amazon stops requiring government secrecy agreements for data centers amid 100+ local moratoriums.
- Title: Amazon drops NDAs on data center deals after local backlash
- Summary: Amazon stops requiring government secrecy agreements for data centers amid 100+ local moratoriums. Amazon will no longer ask government officials to sign…
- Keywords: amazon, aws, data center, nda, local backlash, ai infrastructure, municipal moratoriums, built together program, james raskin, matt garman, startups, business
- Source: Startup Fortune — https://startupfortune.com/amazon-drops-ndas-on-data-center-deals-after-mounting-local-backlash
- Published: 2026-10-10T00:19:27+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: amazon, aws, data center, nda, local backlash, ai infrastructure, municipal moratoriums, built together program, james raskin, matt garman, startups, business
## Amazon drops NDAs for data centers
Amazon Web Services will stop using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies on data center projects.
## Over 100 local moratoriums
More than 100 data center moratoriums are currently being considered by local governments across the country.
## Amazon's NDA reversal
AWS CEO Matt Garman published a blog post on Friday, October 2, stating Amazon will no longer require government secrecy agreements.
## Built Together program
Amazon pledged more than $1 billion over five years to communities hosting its facilities through a new program called Built Together.
## Environmental activist concerns
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich said communities' main grievance about data centers is secrecy, not water use or noise.
## Congressional pressure
Two days before Garman's post, Representative Jamie Raskin sent letters to Amazon, Google, Meta and Oracle demanding information about NDA practices.
## Ohio tax exemption suspension
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine suspended the state's data center sales tax exemption program after costs exploded from $136 million to nearly $1.6 billion.
## Amazon's transparency claims
Amazon claims the NDA reversal addresses national competitiveness concerns, not community grievances.
## Local skepticism remains
La Voce di New York found skepticism about Amazon's NDA reversal lingers days after the announcement.
## Key takeaway

Amazon will no longer ask government officials to sign NDAs before data center projects become public after over 100 local moratoriums threaten its AI buildout.