Polls consistently show that most Americans dislike data centers, yet tech industry leaders frequently point to China as the source of related problems. This framing appears to serve as a convenient explanation for concerns about data center expansion and impact.

However, according to reporting from Wired, the evidence backing up these China-focused claims is lacking. The disconnect between the narrative used by tech leaders and their allies versus documented facts raises questions about how the industry discusses data center challenges and their actual causes.