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On Facebook and Instagram, Political Ads Are Increasingly Critical of Data Centers
% of U.S. political ads on Facebook and Instagram mentioning data centers that take a(n) __ stance
Note: Shares of ads that do not take a clear stance on data centers are not shown.
Source: Analysis of 20,751 ads about social issues, elections or politics that mention data centers and ran in the U.S. on Facebook or Instagram from Jan. 1 to Oct. 24, 2026.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Anti-data center ads have become more common on Facebook and Instagram
% of U.S. political ads on Facebook and Instagram mentioning data centers that take a(n) __ stance
Month
Anti-data center
Pro-data center
2026-01
31
42
2026-02
52
14
2026-03
42
30
2026-04
57
19
2026-05
57
6
2026-06
64
6
2026-07
60
6
2026-08
62
8
2026-09
61
8
2026-10
57
3
Note: Shares of ads that do not take a clear stance on data centers are not shown.
Source: Analysis of 20,751 ads about social issues, elections or politics that mention data centers and ran in the U.S. on Facebook or Instagram from Jan. 1 to Oct. 24, 2026.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Spending on political ads mentioning data centers has increased exponentially in the run-up to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. Over a period of 90 days from Jul. 27 to Oct. 24, advertisers on Facebook and Instagram spent almost $12 million on ads that mention data centers in the context of
<p>Facebook and Instagram advertising data comes from the
Source: Analysis of 13,956 ads about social issues, elections or politics that mentioned data centers and ran in the U.S. on Facebook or Instagram from July 27 to Oct. 24, 2026.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
Facebook and Instagram ads that criticize data centers often mention corporate interests
% of __ U.S. political ads on Facebook and Instagram mentioning data centers that discuss their impacts on …
Category
Anti-data center
Pro-data center
Diff
Corporate interests and investment
47
22
-25
Energy usage and costs
35
42
7
The environment
26
13
-13
Water usage and costs
22
26
4
Taxes or tax revenue
21
18
-3
Jobs
3
25
22
Some common themes emerge in political ads on Facebook and Instagram that mention data centers:
- Large corporations and their involvement in data center development (mentioned in 30% of all political ads about data centers)
- Data centers’ energy use (24%)
- Environmental effects of data centers and the water required to run them (17% and 15%, respectively)
Certain themes are more common in ads that are critical of data centers than in ads that support them. For example, nearly half of ads that oppose data centers discuss the corporate interests behind them, like the tech industry or utility platforms that was aimed at users in Wisconsin, the highest share of any state.
In general, states with more competitive elections for the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate or governor have seen more spending on Facebook and Instagram political ads about data centers. Spending on these ads is also higher, on average, in states with more operational or planned data centers.
