Reclaim the Cloud! Contesting, Resisting and Reimagining Data Centers

Data centers are the backbone of the internet and the foundation for architecture of our digital lives. Around the world, large tech companies, such as Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Google are investing billions in hyper-scaler data centers designed to provide computation and data capacity for generative AI and other digital products. These data centers are no abstract entities. They are built with tons of concrete, take up vast space and need lots of energy, water and resources to operate. Hence data centres influence, change and clash with local politics, ecologies and ideas about good digital futures. Their closed ownership structures also raise urgent questions of upstream power concentration, and undermines democratic oversight and accountability of technological development.

Recently, lines of conflict around data center development have erupted around the globe. From Mexico and the US to France and Germany, protest movements against data centers led by local activists contest promises of technical innovation and regional development, and defend ecological and local interests. These protests are opening up a a space for an alternative vision of data center infrastructure – and thus an alternative vision for the foundations of our digital life.

At this event, we want to discuss the challenges data centers bring, learn from data center resistance movements and explore new ideas for the future of data centers.

We will combine political analysis from Paris Marx and Algorithm Watch with practical experience by the activists of La Nuage était sous nos pieds and discuss alternative visions of digital futures with the the Community Data Centers research project from the Weizenbaum Institute.

Participants

• Paris Marx – Author (Road to Nowhere), Journalist (Time, Wired, disconnect.blog etc.), Host (Tech Won't Save Us)
• Julian Bothe – Algorithm Watch
• La Nuage était sous nos pieds – French Data Center Resistance Group
• Weizenbaum Institute's “Community Data Centers“ research project
   

Please register here for the event.

Agenda

The Organizers

The event is jointly organised by: 

• the Weizenbaum Institute’s research group “Digitalization, Sustainability, and Participation“, as well as the research project “Community Data Centers“,

• and the Bits & Bäume movement for digitalization and sustainability.