Big Tech Lobbyists Secure EU Confidentiality for Data Center Water Use Data

European investigative journalists report that Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta lobbyists persuaded the European Commission to classify data center water consumption data as confidential. This obscures the environmental impact of AI-driven data center expansion, which is already sparking local water conflicts in arid regions. The move signals a regulatory shift favoring tech interests over transparency, with implications for water-stressed communities and infrastructure planning.