After the occupation of a Microsoft data center construction site in Amsterdam, during which up to 200 people were reportedly arrested, the Association of the Internet Industry, eco, criticizes the action. Managing Director Alexander Rabe warns of risks to critical infrastructure and rejects a Europe-wide building freeze.
Hundreds of activists occupied the construction site of a Microsoft data center in Amsterdam on Friday, November 6. According to wire reports (dpa-AFX, AFP), they halted construction work for a day. Depending on the report, 150 to 200 people were arrested. The Association of the Internet Industry, eco, has now explicitly condemned the action. Managing Director Alexander Rabe warns of possible consequences for critical infrastructure.
The protest in Amsterdam
The action was called by the group Geef Tegengas, which described it as the first mass protest against large data centers in Europe. The mayor had previously banned a demonstration, and police stopped a march to the site in the Sloterdijk district. According to reports, participants used tools to break open fences, climbed a crane and sprayed anti-Microsoft slogans on walls; some left the site voluntarily. Geef Tegengas argues that the data center will consume as much electricity as all households in Amsterdam combined and delay the construction of 30,000 homes. A spokesperson also accused Microsoft of supporting the military use of artificial intelligence. According to AWP, Microsoft said it does not condone actions that break the law or endanger people’s safety.
Warning of risks to essential services
Rabe points out that data centers are part of critical infrastructure and that hospitals and other essential facilities depend on their reliable operation. Anyone who impairs operations or security could, in the worst case, endanger human lives. Peaceful protest is a fundamental right, he says, but anyone who gets past barriers, enters construction sites without authorization and occupies construction cranes crosses a clear line and also endangers people on site. That is not an acceptable form of political debate. The warning about interference with operations is general in nature; in Amsterdam, the site is a construction site.
Data centers as the foundation of digitalization
“Data centers are not the enemy,” Rabe says. They are the foundation of digitalization and underpin prosperity, value creation and competitiveness; cloud services, digital administration, industrial applications and artificial intelligence do not work without them. Criticism of individual technology companies may be justified, but it must not turn into a blanket rejection of the infrastructure.
Building freeze and water consumption
eco rejects calls for a Europe-wide building freeze. According to Rabe, data centers in Germany and Europe are among the most energy-efficient in an international comparison. If expansion is blocked here, new capacity could emerge in regions of the world with lower efficiency standards and greater environmental impact, which would harm the climate and weaken Europe’s digital sovereignty. On criticism of water consumption, Rabe calls for a fact-based debate. Many data centers in Germany already use cooling methods without ongoing water consumption: in closed circuits the coolant is reused repeatedly, and with dry heat rejection fresh water does not have to be supplied continuously during normal operation. Energy and water must nevertheless be used efficiently, and the effects of new sites made transparent.
Dr. Jakob Jung is Editor-in-Chief of Security Storage and Channel Germany. He has been working in IT journalism for more than 20 years. His career includes Computer Reseller News, Heise Resale, Informationweek, Techtarget (storage and data center) and ChannelBiz. He also freelances for numerous IT publications, including Computerwoche, Channelpartner, IT-Business, Storage-Insider and ZDnet. His main topics are channel, storage, security, data center, ERP and CRM.
Contact via Mail: jakob.jung@security-storage-und-channel-germany.de