Communities in Caucaia are calling for the suspension of the licensing process for a proposed TikTok data centre in the region. Their demand relates to the potential impacts of the data centre on access to water resources, given that the project would consume large volumes of water and electricity.

The TikTok data centre is set to be located two kilometres from the Cauípe Lagoon, an environmental protection area and the largest body of water in the state of Ceará. The Cauípe River runs through the entire territory of the Anacé people. The Anacé also state that their right to free, prior and informed consultation has not been respected.

Indigenous leaders, supported by five civil society organisations, are calling on the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office and the State Public Prosecutor’s Office of Ceará to investigate irregularities in the construction of the data centre and are demanding the immediate suspension of the environmental licensing process for the complex.

We invited TikTok to comment on the allegations. Although the company responded to our enquiry, it said that it could not comment at this time.