Amazon and others are done keeping data center deals secret. Is it enough to build trust?

Amazon will no longer use non-disclosure agreements when it negotiates data center deals with local governments, the company said, following a similar decision by Microsoft earlier this year. The shift affects how the company reaches terms with municipalities and other local bodies over the infrastructure that supports AI computing. Amazon framed the change as a response to community pushback over data center projects.

Microsoft made its own move away from such agreements earlier this year, according to the report. Secrecy around data center negotiations has helped drive opposition to AI infrastructure at the local level. That opposition has produced hundreds of proposed and enacted moratoriums across the country, from New York to San Francisco.

The question raised by the change is whether dropping NDAs will alter how data center deals are actually completed. It may also test whether transparency alone is enough to rebuild trust with communities that have objected to the projects. The topic was examined on TechCrunch's Equity podcast, where Anthony Ha, Sean O'Kane, and Rebecca Bellan discussed the implications of the NDA decisions, along with why trust may be the real product for personal AI startups, and a couple of deals of the week.

Separately, a wave of startups is betting that consumers will give AI agents access to their inboxes, files, and credit cards. Those companies face a related requirement: getting websites to allow the agents in. The bet rests on consumers trusting the agents with sensitive personal access.

The tech news cycle also included other developments. A federal judge described Flock as engaging in indiscriminate mass surveillance. OpenAI saw a safety employee resign and claim the company's culture is broken. Anthropic is providing startups with a free year of Claude Team and $1,000 in credits.

Among funding items, a 19-year-old founder raised $10 million for a new AI startup. Another founder, also 19, raised $11 million for Ghost, which makes a $3,499 computer for personal AI. Cal AI's 19-year-old founder led the $10 million round for his new venture.

In Washington, the US barred Microsoft, Adobe, and major IT firms from a green card program for skilled foreign workers. The move adds another policy layer for technology employers that rely on foreign talent.

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