Europe needs to wake up to the costs of hosting data centres

Is there a non-paywalled article anywhere?

I think regulations for competition would be naive because data center location has other effects aside costs. Privacy protections and strategic security for instance. Industrial espionage is the largest métier of intelligence agencies. Of course some users in there will always have access to data.

What would warrant such a tech backlash?

Can’t read the paywalled article, but wouldn’t that be the removal of regulations that introduce favorable treatment?

I don’t see how favorable treatment for data centers would be the default situation.

AFAICT the author rather wants unfavourable treatment. That they shouldn't be allowed to be built on converted farmland, even if other companies are allowed to build other faceless boxy buildings on the same farmland. That they shouldn't be allowed to buy renewable electricity even though other companies are.

https://archive.md/rtNRq bypasses the paywall BTW.