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Those rationales for opposing data centers would have applied to the development of modern databases and other modern computer technologies going back decades. You don't block the development or expansion of technology on such grounds.

I'm old enough to recall back in the 70's when Democrat Congressmen were blocking the acquisition of new computers by the FBI, based on that kind of thinking.

The disputed project involves the use of the bureau's existing computer as a central message switching center for local and state police agencies when they make inquiries and responses to each other about wanted and missing persons and stolen property in F.B.I. records.

Such inquiries are now handled by mail, telephone and a consortium operated by the states. Critics have maintained—and the F.B.I. has denied—that the messageswitching ability will ultimately permit the bureau to keep track of all messages going between all state and local police agencies.

In a letter June 8 to Attorney General Griffin B. Bell, Mr. Moss contended that the Administration'Administration action in approving the F.B.I. project “poses a threat to the civil liberties and privacy of every citizen” and was “the beginning of the creation of a national police force.”

What you want goes way beyond that episode. They were just trying to prevent the FBI from implementing something (which never seems to have created this big civil liberties threat). Your idea would have been like blocking the development of technology itself, in order to prevent the FBI from having a "national police force", which is preposterous.

The idea of blocking the advance of computing power to prevent companies from "influencing" consumers is particularly absurd. Maybe they should block advertising!

I don't know what your point is about "sounding like" Kevin O'Leary. That article actually says that there is foreign interference. It says that Interior Secretary Burghum and others agree that there's foreign interference.

Says O'Leary:

We uncovered something far bigger than I ever expected. After seeing coordinated false attacks against the Utah data center project, we brought in an advanced data science team to trace where the content was coming from and the results were shocking. What we found led back to organized networks, political activist groups, and funding trails tied to massive international entities. We dug through IRS 990 filings, tracked IP data from around the world, and uncovered what appears to be a coordinated campaign targeting energy and data center projects across multiple regions.

I shared 90 pages of evidence with federal law enforcement and raised concerns directly with contacts at the White House. This isn’t speculation. The filings, funding records, dates, and connections are documented. There’s a coordinated PR war happening around energy infrastructure and data centers, and we’re not going to ignore it.