Big Tech’s New Headache: Data Centre Activism Flourishes Across the World
According to CGHR Postdoctoral Scholar Dr Sebastián Lehuedé, groups opposing the construction of polluting and water-intensive data centres are emerging in different regions. These local activists are laying bare Big Tech’s profoundly problematic community and environmental record, argues Sebastián. This post is inspired by a meeting in September 2022 of environmental activists and concerned researchers based in Europe and the Americas, who discussed the goals and challenges of grassroots groups opposing the construction of data centres. ‘Data Territories’ was hosted by the CGHR and funded by the Alan Turing Institute. Sebastián served as a moderator along with Hunter Vaughan: both have conducted research on digital technologies and the environment.
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