Amazon drops NDAs on data center deals as AI agents storm credit cards
Amazon has dropped its requirement for non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) when negotiating data centers with local governments — a move Microsoft made earlier this year. The shift away from secrecy comes amid a wave of protests: the opacity of AI infrastructure deals sparked such strong public backlash that hundreds of moratoriums have been proposed and passed, from New York to San Francisco. The second storyline is just as telling: startups are rushing to court consumers, offering AI agents with access to personal data. The challenge is convincing websites to let these agents operate within users' inboxes, files, and credit cards. On the TechCrunch Equity podcast, the hosts discuss whether this will turn into a real market and break down the week's biggest deals. • **Lambda** raised $4 billion in AI infrastructure funding; a single client accounts for $35 billion in backlog orders • **Uber** spent $2.3 billion in cash to enter corporate catering by acquiring an office food service • **The White House** plans to deploy agents for round-the-clock operation
AI-processed from TechCrunch; edited by Hamidun News
Transparency instead of secrecy
Amazon has stopped requiring non-disclosure agreements when negotiating with local governments over the construction of AI infrastructure data centers. The move mirrors a similar decision by Microsoft earlier in 2025. The reason: a brewing social conflict.
Secrecy around AI infrastructure deals has triggered a massive wave of protests. Residents in municipalities from New York to San Francisco have pushed through hundreds of proposed — and already adopted — moratoriums on building such facilities. Dropping NDAs is an attempt by public companies to defuse social resistance through transparency.
AI agents with access to your finances
At the same time, another trend is gaining momentum: a wave of startups is betting that consumers will voluntarily hand AI agents access to their most private assets — email, cloud files, and credit cards. The core challenge is convincing websites to let outside agents act on users' behalf.
For some startups, privacy itself is the competitive edge. The question of business models remains open: how do you turn an agent into a sales tool or a paid service people are willing to pay for?
What they discussed on the Equity podcast
In the latest episode of TechCrunch Equity (hosted by Anthony Ha, Sean O'Kane, and Rebecca Bellan), the hosts broke down both storylines and discussed strategies:
• The White House and government agents: the administration plans to launch AI agents that run 24/7; analysts suspect this won't become a mass-market product • Privacy agents: startups are pitching confidentiality itself as the core product • Monetization models: how a model can turn an agent into a service seller • Fortifying the gates: some platforms are erecting barriers against outside agents
Deals of the week
Lambda and data center scale: the startup raised $4 billion in investment amid surging demand for AI infrastructure. According to the podcast, a single client accounts for $35 billion in backlog orders. That's a sign of how concentrated demand is: the AI compute market still depends on a handful of massive customers.
Uber enters catering: the company spent $2.3 billion in cash to acquire a corporate office catering service. The move is unexpected but logical: Uber is expanding beyond home food delivery into a new B2B segment, with 30,000 of the company's own employees already on the ChatGPT Work platform.
The Disrupt conference will bring together the people shaping these trends. TechCrunch is offering a bonus ticket deal: buy one Pass, get one free (code Equity25).
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Key Questions Answered
What are the key details on Transparency instead of secrecy?
Amazon has stopped requiring non-disclosure agreements when negotiating with local governments over the construction of AI infrastructure data centers. The move mirrors a similar decision by Microsoft earlier in 2025. The reason: a brewing social conflict. Secrecy around AI infrastructure deals has triggered a massive wave of protests. Residents in municipalities from New York to San Francisco have pushed through hundreds of proposed — and already adopted — moratoriums on building such facilities. Dropping NDAs is an attempt by public companies to defuse social resistance t
What are the key details on AI agents with access to your finances?
At the same time, another trend is gaining momentum: a wave of startups is betting that consumers will voluntarily hand AI agents access to their most private assets — email, cloud files, and credit cards. The core challenge is convincing websites to let outside agents act on users' behalf. For some startups, privacy itself is the competitive edge. The question of business models remains open: how do you turn an agent into a sales tool or a paid service people are willing to pay for?
What they discussed on the Equity podcast?
In the latest episode of TechCrunch Equity (hosted by Anthony Ha, Sean O'Kane, and Rebecca Bellan), the hosts broke down both storylines and discussed strategies: The White House and government agents: the administration plans to launch AI agents that run 24/7; analysts suspect this won't become a mass-market product Privacy agents: startups are pitching confidentiality itself as the core product Monetization models: how a model can turn an agent into a service seller Fortifying the gates: some platforms are erecting barriers against outside agents
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