An investigation by Investigate Europe and the Guardian has found that Microsoft and other US technology companies successfully lobbied the European Commission in 2024 to classify individual datacenter environmental metrics as confidential, with the final regulatory text adopted almost word for word from industry submissions. The secrecy clause, which applies to energy use and emissions data held in an EU-wide database, has already been used to reject freedom of information requests from journalists and researchers, leaving only national-level summaries available to the public. Legal scholars warn the provision likely violates the Aarhus Convention (an international treaty guaranteeing public access to environmental information) and EU transparency rules, raising concerns as the bloc races to triple its datacenter capacity to support an artificial intelligence boom partly powered by fossil gas.