Do data centres harm our human rights? SAHRC launches investigation

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is launching an investigation into the country’s fast-growing tech sector.

The watchdog wants to see how massive data centres and digital infrastructure affect the everyday lives of citizens.

To do this, the commission is asking tech giants, environmental experts, community groups, and residents to share their thoughts on the industry’s heavy resource use.

The SAHRC acknowledges that the digital boom is a double-edged sword.

“While these developments may support economic growth, digital transformation and artificial intelligence readiness, they also raise important human rights, environmental, governance and public-interest considerations,” it said.

Why the SAHRC is stepping in

Data centres use thousands of computer servers that require massive amounts of electricity and water to stay cool. This has led to anxiety about local power grids and water supplies.

The SAHRC has the legal power under the Constitution to monitor and protect human rights in South Africa.

It flagged three main problem areas:

• Data centres put strain on resources. High electricity demand, rising power bills for everyday consumers, and the large amounts of water used to cool servers are at the forefront.
• The environmental impact includes long-term climate effects, damage to local landscapes and the growing problem of electronic waste (E-waste).
• There are also social and privacy risks, including companies taking over community land without proper consultation, data privacy vulnerabilities, and unfair access to the digital economy.

The commission wants to see if current technology laws and industry practices align with South Africa’s constitution and international human rights standards.

How to have your say

The SAHRC is opening the floor to everyone. The information gathered will be used to create new policy guidelines and recommendations for Parliament.

If you want to submit your input, here are the details:

• Deadline: 30 July 2026.
• Format: Written submissions must be sent as a Word document or PDF.
• Email addresses: Send your file directly to both [email protected] (Dr E. Carter) and [email protected] (B. Ainslie).
• Required subject line: “Data Centres and Human Rights Submission”