Half of Brits admit they still don't know what a data center is

Date:
Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:42:27 +0000

Description:
Just one in two Brits know what a data center is, but even more see them as having a negative impact and many are worried about energy consumption.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Just 52% of Brits are familiar with the concept of a data center Positive sentiments are down, while
negative perception is up This report calls for greater transparency and public engagement New research has revealed only one in two (52%) Brits are aware of the term data center, but despite growing awareness (with the figure up from 40% in 2024), three in five (59%) are still unsure about what a data center is or what it does.

Despite slow growth in awareness and a UK designation for data centers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), fewer people believe data centers
have a positive impact on the digital services they use both at home and in work. Today, only 37% of British citizens see them as having a positive impact, down from 48% two years ago. On the flip side, negative perception
has risen from 4% to 15% in the same period, the report from Telehouse found. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: British citizens see data centers in a negative light Among the biggest concerns is energy consumption, with more than half (56%) of the respondents worried about the amount of electricity these campuses use.

But with awareness of the concept in general rising year-over-year, Telehouse believes there's scope to turn this awareness into understanding and confidence. "As an industry, we have a role to play in closing that gap by working more closely together, being more transparent, engaging openly with the public and communities and doing a better job of explaining the value
data centres enable," EVP and GM for Telehouse Europe, Mark Pestridge, explained. You may like 'That gap is significant': Lots of us still know nothing about data centers, new survey finds Its not about whether we need data centers, but where we build them, says IDCA founder and CEO Worlds second-biggest data center proposed in Scotland meets huge opposition and it's part of a wider trend across the United Kingdom

The report indirectly alludes to the fact that worker and consumer AI use is disproportionate to education, which explains why public scrutiny may be accelerating more quickly.

When the UK government designated data centers as CNI, the then-Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described them as "the engines of modern life." Are you
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"The objective now is helping people understand why data centres matter and how it supports everyones lives," Pestridge added. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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