Public officials reconsider NDA process amid Project Blue outrage (Arizona Luminaria)
Bonds Weighs in on NDAs and Data Center Secrecy for Arizona Luminaria
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds was quoted in Arizona Luminaria in an article examining the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by public officials in data center development projects. “Part of due diligence for elected officials is to know the company so they can scrutinize how it can behave elsewhere,” said Bonds, who has written extensively on data center transparency, particularly in Virginia. Read the full story.
Bonds Quoted by WFYI on Data Center Development
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds was quoted by WFYI and The Indiana Citizen in an article titled “How confidentiality agreements around a proposed data center could impact Indianapolis’ development.” In the article, Bonds provided expert commentary on the lack of transparency in data center deals, noting that “Democracy – some say – dies in the dark. But that is exactly where many data center deals are born and live.” Read the article.
Other recent media mentions for Bonds include:
Company behind proposed Indy data center revealed in new documents (Mirrorindy)
“You would want to know the name of that company, so you could learn about how it’s operated elsewhere, and you could decide, is it going to be a good neighbor or not?” Eric Bonds, a sociology professor at the University of Mary Washington, said in a previous interview with WFYI. https://mirrorindy.org/google-behind-proposed-indianapolis-data-center-franklin-township/
Previously unnamed company behind proposed Indy data center named in new documents (WFYI)
“You would want to know the name of that company, so you could learn about how it’s operated elsewhere, and you could decide, is it going to be a good neighbor or not?” Eric Bonds, a sociology professor at the University of Mary Washington, said in a previous interview with WFYI. “This raises questions about when big companies come in like this that might just change the local dynamics of who’s really calling the shots,” said Bonds, who teaches on the topics of human rights, climate change and environmental justice. https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/previously-unnamed-company-behind-proposed-indy-data-center-named-in-new-documents
Va.’s failure to protect crucial HIV/AIDS services sets ominous precedent (Virginia Mercury)
About 25,000 Virginians are living with HIV and proposed federal cuts to health care funding put their care at risk, writes guest columnist Eric Bonds. https://virginiamercury.com/2025/07/01/va-s-failure-to-protect-crucial-hiv-aids-services-sets-ominous-precedent/
Va.’s failure to protect crucial HIV/AIDS services sets ominous precedent (FXBG Advance)
Va.’s failure to protect crucial HIV/AIDS services sets ominous precedent (Virginia Mercury)
Previously unnamed company behind proposed Indy data center named in new documents (WFYI)
Bonds and UMW Students’ Research Featured in Story About Restrictions on Environmental Data
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Research conducted by Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds and his students on the widespread use of non-disclosure agreements in Virginia’s data-center industry was featured in an article titled “As Trump Unwinds Federal Oversight, States Become Battlegrounds for Environmental Data.” The article appeared in the DeSmog Blog and is about the challenges that members of the public may face when seeking to obtain environmental data. Read the article.
Bonds Authors Article on Data Center Sustainability for Chesapeake Bay Journal
Associate Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds
Professor of Sociology Eric Bonds authored an article titled “For data center sustainability in Virginia, state regulation is a must” for the Chesapeake Bay Journal. An excerpt from the article says, “Spreading out from Northern Virginia, data centers are being proposed in communities across the Chesapeake Bay region. They promise big bursts of local revenue, but they also consume huge amounts of energy and can sometimes negatively impact neighborhoods and natural areas. When data centers come knocking, what should local environmentalists do?” Read the article.