Google Unveils Austrian Data Centre Plans as Meta Tracks Google Keystrokes
Google will build a Kronstorf, Austria, data centre creating 100 jobs, funding Enns river water improvements, using off-site heat recovery and training local talent with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria. Meta’s keystroke tracking on Google services raises privacy concerns, while Alphabet joins Broadcom and Amazon in custom AI chip rollouts.
1. Austrian Data Centre Plans
Google is set to build its first Alpine data centre in Kronstorf, Austria. The facility will create around 100 direct jobs, fund Enns river water quality improvements with the Upper Austrian Fisheries Association, deploy off-site heat recovery and train staff through a partnership with the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria.
2. Meta’s Keystroke Tracking Initiative
Meta has begun monitoring keystrokes on Google services, including search and Gmail, to train its AI models. This practice raises new privacy and regulatory scrutiny for Google, as it may prompt questions over user data handling and consent.
3. AI Chip Competition Intensifies
Alphabet is developing custom AI chips alongside Broadcom and Amazon, intensifying competition ahead of Nvidia’s May 20 earnings report. The emergence of in-house silicon options could pressure Google Cloud’s procurement costs and margins as AI workloads expand.