Meta now says those “current circumstances” have led to the plans being halted. The company states that it wants to be “a good neighbour” and that support from the local community is therefore indispensable.
Despite the protest, the Zeewolde city council approved the arrival of Meta at the end of December. Won during the municipal elections this month the opponents of the data center. That was not the end of the matter, however, because a piece of land was still owned by the Dutch government. Several national politicians called on the Dutch Senate not to sell it to the parent company of WhatsApp, among others. The tech giant is now throwing in the towel itself.