OpenAI drops NDAs with officials on its data-center projects
The pledge follows US votes that showed strong resistance to data-center expansion. A wider community compact promises public reporting, but leaves enforcement and coverage of partner projects unresolved.
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OpenAI said on November 5 that it will stop using non-disclosure agreements with public officials on data-center projects, opening more of its dealings with governments to public scrutiny.
The change allows exceptions for legitimate security information, trade secrets and proprietary or competitively sensitive information. It forms part of a National Community Compact and a Compute Campus Policy Blueprint published on November 5, 2026.
The announcement followed US midterm votes that registered strong opposition to data-center development. In an NBC News Election Day poll, 76 percent of voters opposed data centers in their communities, according to The Verge.
For residents, the promise reaches beyond access to documents. OpenAI said it would pay the full cost of the electricity it uses and the infrastructure needed to serve it, publish expected job creation and hiring information, and give communities opportunities to shape project plans.
Those are commitments on subjects that can determine whether a large computing facility becomes a welcome investment or a local political fight: who pays, who benefits and who gets a say.
