Big Tech Asked for Looser Clean Water Act Permitting. Trump Wants to Give It to Them

The White House has proposed new regulations that closely align with changes to environmental permitting sought by major tech companies. The proposed changes would relax requirements under the Clean Water Act, allowing Big Tech firms like Meta, Google, and Amazon Web Services to more easily obtain permits for construction and expansion projects. The suggested modifications mirror recommendations made by Meta and a lobbying group representing several tech giants. Critics argue that these changes would weaken environmental protections and enable tech companies to more easily build data centers and other infrastructure, potentially at the expense of local ecosystems and water resources. The move has raised concerns among environmental advocates, who argue that it prioritizes the interests of Big Tech over the need to safeguard clean water and the natural environment. The proposed regulations are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to roll back various environmental regulations and streamline the permitting process for businesses.