OpenAI will not use NDAs with public officials on data centre projects
Announcing community commitments after this week’s midterms, OpenAI said it will allow only narrow protections for security information and trade secrets, pay the full cost of the electricity it uses, and give each compute campus a local compact.
Summary
The Verge reports in a 6 November 2026 article that OpenAI has announced new commitments to communities hosting its data center projects, including a pledge not to use non-disclosure agreements with public officials. The announcement follows this week's midterm elections, in which the article says voters strongly voiced opposition to data center expansion.
The article notes that many data center projects have drawn scrutiny for using NDAs to keep conversations between developers and local officials out of view. OpenAI says its agreements will now be limited to narrow safeguards for genuine security details, trade secrets, and proprietary or commercially sensitive material. The Verge adds that Amazon said in October it would stop using them in its dealings with government bodies over such projects.
OpenAI's other commitments cover cost and local benefit. The company says it will pay the full cost of the electricity it consumes and of the infrastructure needed to serve its operations. To create opportunities for local communities, it will publish the jobs it expects to create and report on its hiring. Each future compute campus that it owns and operates, which is its term for a data center, will have a local compact containing these commitments and reflecting local priorities, according to OpenAI.