Why China Is the Bogeyman Data Center Enthusiasts Just Can't Quit
Polls show that overwhelming majorities of Americans hate data centers. China makes a perfect scapegoat for tech leaders and their allies—the only problem is a lack of evidence.
Why China Is the Bogeyman Data Center Enthusiasts Just Can't Quit
Data center supporters are facing increasing opposition, with up to 75% of Americans reportedly opposing new data centers in their areas. Previously supportive politicians, such as Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, are now emphasizing their anti-data center stance as the midterms draw near. However, amidst this political turbulence, some are still pointing fingers at China as the culprit behind the negative sentiment towards data centers.
In late August, X (formerly Twitter) reported identifying 200 accounts linked to China that were spreading anti-data center narratives, causing alarm among data center enthusiasts and right-wing figures. President Trump even weighed in, blaming China for fueling the anti-data center movement. This narrative has been gaining traction, even among data center-friendly politicians and pundits who seek a convenient scapegoat for the issue.
However, experts suggest that the evidence supporting this China angle is thin. Right-wing policy shops and lawmakers have used reports to accuse the Chinese Communist Party of seeding anti-data center narratives, but these claims lack substantial hard evidence. OpenAI also identified a cluster of accounts connected to the Chinese government, but the company acknowledged that these accounts were merely exploiting existing discontent around data centers.
Graphika, a social media analytics firm, conducted a study and found that most of the opposition to data centers comes from within the United States. Tyler Williams, vice president of intelligence at Graphika, stated that there's little evidence of significant foreign intervention in this matter. Blogger Andy Masley, who is popular among tech boosters on X, remains skeptical of the China narrative, suggesting that it might be a convenient belief for some right-wing figures who think that right-wing people enjoy hearing about China.
Ultimately, this narrative appears to be a result of Americans' tendency to blame a mysterious "other" rather than examining their own actions. As WIRED's senior business editor Louise Matsakis explained, China has become a convenient scapegoat for American problems, and this narrative is spreading rapidly among factions on the right.
Written by urgent.news from Wired Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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