Resident warns of privacy risks from proposed data centers; board schedules public input

A resident raised sharp privacy concerns about prospective data centers and urged the Smyth County Board of Supervisors to give citizens fuller disclosure before the board considers ordinance changes.

Charles Wasson told the board he feared data centers could enable mass surveillance and spoke against what he described as “secret meetings” and agreements such as the ZMM agreement and “Project Hightower.” “We—re going into a surveillance state much like red China where they have social credit scores, you have a digital ID, you have a digital money, you have digital everything,” Wasson said. He urged the board to give citizens information before the board’s June 25 meeting and to solicit wider public input.

Chair responded that the board intends to gather public feedback before finalizing ordinance language, saying the board is preparing a meeting in late June for public input. The board later noted a staff-organized tour of a rural Microsoft data center on June 29 to give members firsthand information about such facilities.

The speaker framed his concerns as constitutional and urged transparent processes; board members responded by promising further public engagement and investigative follow-up rather than a final decision at this meeting.

Why it matters: Data-center siting and any attendant ordinance changes could affect land use and community privacy expectations. The board signaled it will seek more information and public comment before taking regulatory action.