Tech Companies Are Using Insidious Tactics to Build Data Centers on Indigenous Lands, Activists Say

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma became the first Indigenous nation to ban data center construction after a startup requested an NDA for a proposed project.

Activists say tech firms are using NDAs and bait-and-switch tactics to push hyperscale data centers onto Native lands without clear community consent.

The backlash is spreading, with tribes and some Oklahoma cities adopting anti-data-center measures, including bans and moratoriums.

The dispute underscores broader concerns about tribal sovereignty, land use, water rights, and the impacts of AI and cloud infrastructure growth.