Amazon ends NDAs in data center negotiations, following Microsoft

For years, the giant buildings powering the AI boom often arrived with a gag order attached. Amazon Web Services now says it will stop asking for one. On October 2, 2026, AWS CEO Matt Garman announced that the company will no longer enter into nondisclosure agreements with government agencies for its data center projects. That puts Amazon alongside Microsoft, which made a similar commitment to end NDAs with local governments in March 2026. What Amazon actually promised An NDA in this context works a bit like a surprise party nobody asked for. A town council negotiates with a tech company, but officials agree not to tell residents the details until the deal is far along. Garman’s pledge removes that layer for AWS. Government agencies working with Amazon on data center projects will no longer be bound to keep those conversations confidential. He positioned the change as one piece of a wider push to repair relations with the communities that host these facilities. The other headline piece is a new program called Built Together. Through Built Together, AWS has pledged more than $1 billion over the next five years. The money is earmarked for community projects in areas that host its dat...