US Government Allowing Data Center Surveillance to End

The US government they are quietly preparing to pass a law outlining federal standards data center use and services, known as the Federal Data Center Enhancement Act (FDCEA), to end, according to sources who spoke to WIRED. Neither Congress nor the Trump administration appears to be taking the necessary steps to protect or expand the law, or to implement other plans.

The data center has been a hot button problem in recent months, as technology companies go to artificial intelligence and construction required to do so strength that. According to a Gallup poll since May, more than 70 percent of Americans oppose the construction of data centers, power plants and water that power the AI ​​boom, in their communities. From Utah to Georgiaresidents of all political parties have come together to speak out against the construction of the data center.

Despite the controversy, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the government agency that provides guidance on how agencies use policies related to the president’s agenda, does not provide guidelines on how federal agencies can run solar or continue to use reports beyond the time frame of the law. This, current and former OMB and General Services Administration (GSA) officials say, indicates that the Trump administration needs to take a more proactive approach to monitoring and controlling data centers.

Instead of the requirements established in the FDCEA, in some organizations, they have been working for a few months before it expires. An employee of GSA, the agency that oversees the government’s IT operations and helped implement the FDCEA, says the lack of any plan is unusual. The employee spoke to WIRED on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

“In the entire history of data center policies, there has never been a policy that has been in active use for more than three years,” says a GSA official. “Today’s technology has changed a lot, not wanting to fix anything, but doing everything it can and developing a new system.

As the federal government pushes agencies to adopt AI tools, the need for data centers and other technology infrastructure will only grow. Electric Power Research Institute, a non-profit research organization, comparison that by 2030, data centers could be using at least 9 percent of the electricity in the US.

WIRED reached out to the offices of three senators who supported the FDCEA regarding what, if any, plans to amend or revise the law.

There has been a flurry of data-related legislation introduced in Congress this year, from bills mandating environmental audits of data centers to bills designed to protect local moratoriums. However, it appears that none of the loans are designed to meet the requirements in the FDCEA, nor do they directly address data centers or lenders.

“Information bases across the country contain dangerous and sensitive information, and we need to ensure they are protected from cyber threats and natural disasters,” Senator Jacky Rosen, who sponsored the FDCEA when it was passed in 2023, told WIRED in an emailed statement. “My team and I know that the Federal Data Center Enhancement Act is about to expire today and we are looking at every possible way to ensure that Americans’ data in our data centers continues to be secure.” Rosen’s office, however, did not elaborate on the plans.