Mark Zuckerberg (File Image)

It seems Meta knows that datacentres, which are the backbone of artificial intelligence (AI) industry, may become a hot political issue. This has made the Mark Zuckerberg-owned company spend $6.4 million to run a series of ads promoting the benefits of data centres that ran across several states in the US in the months of November and December. According to a story in the New York Times, “The advertisement began with a panning shot of Altoona, Iowa, a town of 20,000 near Des Moines. The camera moved from a diner to a farm to a high school football field. To the pluck of guitar strings, a voice-over promoted a boon for the local economy. “We’re bringing jobs here,” the ad said. “For us, and for our next generation.” So, the big takeaway from the Meta ad for all the viewers here is: Jobs and economic prosperity of the city and the State where data centres will be situated. According to the report, Meta ads appeared in the television markets of eight state capitals such as Sacramento, California; Salt Lake City; and Tallahassee, Florida; as well as Washington, D.C. The report quotes data from AdImpact, an analytics firm. Meta ads highlighted how data centers can bring jobs and tax revenue to places in need of economic development. Meta operates 26 data centers in the United States and has said that it will spend $600 billion to build new ones in the coming years. Last year, the company also unveiled two political action committees to back candidates who support AI during the midterm elections.

US lawmakers send ‘worrying letter’ to Meta, Google, Microsoft and Amazon on data centers

In December 2025, three Democratic senators sent letters to Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and three data center operators asking whether their energy-hungry data centers are driving up electricity costs for ordinary Americans. Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut expressed alarm that utility companies are passing billions in infrastructure upgrade costs to consumers while tech firms expand their artificial intelligence operations. “American families bankroll the electricity costs of trillion-dollar tech companies,” the lawmakers wrote, requesting detailed responses by January 12. The measure is so far largely backed by other Democrats. However, the issue is becoming bipartisan as President Donald Trump has made several statements about data centers and energy costs this month.“We are the ‘HOTTEST’ Country in the World, and Number One in AI. Data Centers are key to that boom, and keeping Americans FREE and SECURE but, the big Technology Companies who build them must ‘pay their own way,’” Trump posted on social media January 12.Microsoft recently said that it will ask to pay higher electricity bills in areas where it’s building data centers, in an effort to prevent electricity prices for local residents from rising in those areas. The move is part of a broader plan to address rising prices and other concerns sparked by massive buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure across the United States. Big Tech is spending hundreds of billions of dollars to build the data centers that power AI systems