Know the facts
Everything you need to understand the data center and surveillance crisis — peer-reviewed studies, investigative journalism, policy documents, and tools for local organizers.
Environmental Science & Technology·
Peer-reviewed analysis of water consumption at hyperscale data centers, finding that a single facility can consume 3–5 million gallons of water per day — equivalent to the daily usage of 30,000–50,000 households.
Read sourceNature Climate Change·
Training a single large AI model can emit as much carbon as five cars over their entire lifetimes. This study maps the geographic concentration of emissions from data center clusters.
Read sourceElectronic Frontier Foundation·
A detailed analysis of how Flock Safety's automated license plate reader network has expanded to over 5,000 US communities, creating a de facto national vehicle tracking system with minimal legal oversight and no federal privacy standard.
Read sourceMIT Media Lab / ACLU·
Landmark study showing facial recognition systems misidentify Black and Brown individuals at rates up to 34% higher than white individuals — and that most municipal deployments lack any audit, appeal, or transparency mechanism.
Read sourceThe Intercept·
Investigation into AI-powered "predictive policing" tools purchased by over 150 US police departments — often without city council approval — and their documented record of targeting communities of color.
Read sourceThe Guardian·
An investigation into communities across the US and Europe that successfully organized against data center development — and the legal strategies that worked.
Read sourceWashington Post·
Data centers now account for 2–3% of global electricity consumption. In some US states, new data center construction is forcing utilities to delay retirement of coal plants.
Read sourceThe Atlantic·
How Amazon's Ring, Flock Safety, and similar consumer-facing products have quietly built the largest private surveillance infrastructure in US history — and how police access it without warrants.
Read sourceACLU & Community Control Over Police Surveillance·
A model ordinance requiring city council approval before any surveillance technology is purchased or deployed, with mandatory privacy impact assessments, public hearings, and annual audits. Adopted in over 20 US cities.
Read sourceAmerican Planning Association·
A template ordinance that municipalities can adopt to require environmental impact assessments, community benefit agreements, and noise mitigation before data center permits are issued.
Read sourceElectronic Frontier Foundation·
Ready-to-use Freedom of Information Act request templates to obtain permit applications, surveillance technology contracts, police data-sharing agreements, and utility agreements from local governments.
Read sourceNo Data Centers·
A step-by-step guide to registering as a public commenter, preparing your 3-minute statement, and coordinating with neighbors for maximum impact at local government hearings.
View guideNo Data Centers·
A practical guide to identifying and documenting Flock cameras, ALPRs, and other surveillance devices in your community using public records, street-level photography, and open-source mapping tools.
View guideNo Data Centers·
How to document noise violations using free smartphone apps, submit complaints to your state environmental agency, and build an evidence record for legal action.
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