I spoke to the leader of one of Facebook's biggest anti-AI data center groups
As opposition to AI data centers grows across the country, Dally Holloway says legitimate local concerns risk being overshadowed by misinformation and conspiracy theories.
I’ve wanted to chat with Dally Holloway for a while.
The thirty-something Kansas native started the Facebook group Say NO to Data Centers in September 2025 after a proposed AI data center came to her community. Less than a year later, the group has grown to more than 170,000 members, making it one of the largest anti-data-center communities on Facebook.
I’ve been following the group since last year, as part of my Fortune reporting on the AI data center boom. It has become a gathering place for people concerned about everything from water use and local governance to the broader impact of AI infrastructure. Along the way, I also noticed an increasing number of posts promoting conspiracy theories about data centers—from claims about population control to warnings about 5G radiation—and wondered how Holloway viewed the increasingly wide range of opinions showing up in the group.
Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
What prompted you to start the Say NO to Data Centers Facebook Group?
Last summer, my own town outside of Kansas City was surprised with an AI data center facility being developed by Beale Infrastructure. We all found out via several news reports two days before our standard bi-weekly city council meeting. There were no previous announcements from the city, no hearings or period for public comment held.
My town scrambled the best it could and members of the community showed up at the council meeting. The data center proposal was heard and passed in a single meeting despite serious citizen pushback.
This secrecy spurred me to start the Facebook group. It was initially intended as a local concept, but the fight against data centers was really ramping up in autumn 2025 so it began attracting general attention and interest.
You’ve recently added moderators and new posting rules. What happened?
As my local fight intensified, I was simply out of spoons. I reached out to the general community, seeking moderators and anyone who was interested in assisting with keeping the page clean from conspiracy content, AI-generated content and stuff we really don’t view as scientifically sound.
Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone really understands how intense misinformation is, how quickly it spreads, and how well run bot farms are — specifically on Facebook these days.
