Local Tech Battles Are Pushing Leaders to Tears and Fits of Mania
Local city councils across the U.S. are facing intense backlash as Big Tech companies seek to establish data centers in small towns. This has led to resignations and threats against council members who support these projects, highlighting the growing tension between residents and tech giants. The situation reflects broader concerns about surveillance and the influence of technology on local governance.
- ▪Saline Township, Michigan, faced significant pushback from residents against Oracle and OpenAI's $16 billion Stargate initiative.
- ▪Town treasurer Jennifer Zink resigned after receiving death threats related to the settlement allowing the project to proceed.
- ▪Similar tensions have led to resignations in other towns, including Janesville, Wisconsin, and Festus, Missouri, over data center projects and surveillance issues.
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| Original publisher | Gizmodo |
| Canonical URL | https://gizmodo.com/local-tech-battles-are-pushing-leaders-to-tears-and-fits-of-mania-2000762718 |
| Publication time | Sat, 23 May 2026 14:42:30 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-23T14:47:27.313Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-23T14:47:27.313Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Big Tech has come to Small Town, USA and is not exactly receiving the type of hospitality you’d expect. Across the country, city council meetings that are typically dominated by hyper-local issues have become battlegrounds for broader political and ethical debates, spurred by the encroaching tentacles of tech giants. City council members are increasingly under the microscope as they debate these issues, and some are straight up not having a good…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Gizmodo.
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