Not surprisingly, China is trying to influence the data center debate.

The XSafety team on the X social media platform conducted an investigation into inauthentic accounts connected to China that were part of an anti-data center influence operation. 

The team identified a bot farm operating approximately 200,000 accounts, and among those accounts were 200 posting anti-data center content, X’s Global Government Affairs reported Thursday. 

A bot farm is a coordinated operation in which software manages numerous accounts or devices to generate fake online activity at scale, including engagement such as “likes,” comments and responses. 

In light of these developments, a House Energy and Commerce Committee report released in June says evidence strongly indicates that China and other foreign adversaries are backing campaigns against data centers in an effort to set back the United States in the artificial intelligence race.

As it turns out, China has tried to shape other U.S. policy debates in its favor as well. Earlier this year, a U.S. Senate hearing reviewed claims that CCP-linked groups and related nonprofits helped fund climate lawsuits and activism meant to limit American energy production. Separately, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency prevented a Chinese hacking attempt last week.

The administration clearly views China as influencing this debate. Even Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman cautioned against banning data centers, arguing that such a step could leave the United States at a severe disadvantage in the AI competition with China. Beijing is not only racing America in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and space; it is also trying to steer U.S. public discussion so that Americans impose limits on themselves.

It is encouraging that X is treating the threat as serious, just as the Trump administration is both protecting NASA systems from Chinese hacking attempts and opposing policies that would effectively forfeit the AI race.

As an aside, this isn’t to say there aren’t any problems with data centers, but most of them are located in urban areas, don’t require any additional power source other than backup generators, and have little effect on local energy rates. It is a welcome development to have an administration and a social media platform that will not let Beijing set the terms of America’s technological future.