Midterm elections on 3 November are fuelling debate on tech issues from data centres and surveillance to AI, with politicians under pressure to address public concerns over privacy, energy use and civil liberties.
01Summary
- 01Elon Musk has donated about $366m to conservative causes this year, while Andreessen Horowitz spent $91.3m on Republican-aligned groups.
- 0270% of US adults oppose local data centre construction, according to a July Gallup poll, and New York enacted a temporary pause on hyperscale data centres in July.
- 03More than 6,000 US communities use Flock Safety cameras, and over 200 cities have cancelled or not renewed contracts amid privacy concerns.
- 04Over 60% of US adults say AI is advancing too quickly, the Pew Research Center found in July, and nearly half of under-30s expect AI to harm society.
- 05A leaked GOP memo called data centres 'a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle', affecting races in Virginia and Texas.
02Why it matters
These debates could directly affect your electricity bills, local surveillance, and the pace of AI regulation, with ballot measures in some states offering voters a say on data centre moratoriums and automated license plate readers.
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