Data Center Noise Pollution Lawsuits Pile Up as Tech Giants Face Litigation
A growing number of data centers are facing lawsuits over noise pollution from their operations. The latest case targets Microsoft's Fairwater data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, where residents claim a low-level hum is affecting their quality of life.
The lawsuit alleges that Microsoft was negligent for not taking adequate measures to prevent the noise, which cannot be detected by standard dBA monitors. Residents say the noise has reduced their ability to enjoy their homes and property values have been affected.
This is one of at least six noise-related lawsuits against data centers filed this year. Similar cases have been brought against companies such as xAI in Mississippi and Amazon, which agreed to pay over $20 million for allowing nitrates from its Oregon data center to contaminate a groundwater basin.