Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, is planning a massive data center for its AI projects. The project could cost over $200 billion. The Information reported that Meta executives have already discussed the plan with data center developers. Moreover, they are considering locations in Louisiana, Wyoming, or Texas. Notably, senior leaders recently visited potential sites to assess their feasibility.

Meta Invests Billions in AI Expansion

Last month, Zuckerberg announced that Meta would invest up to $65 billion this year to expand AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos remain wealthier than him. Additionally, Microsoft plans to spend $80 billion in 2025 on data centers. Similarly, Amazon has set a $100 billion budget for 2025, surpassing its $75 billion estimate for 2024.

Meta Faces Lawsuit for Hiring Bias

At the same time, Meta is facing a lawsuit for allegedly favoring foreign workers over American applicants. As a result, a federal judge ruled that the case can proceed.

Three U.S. citizens—Purushothaman Rajaram, Ekta Bhatia, and Qun Wang—claim Meta rejected their applications between 2020 and 2024. They argue that the company prefers hiring visa holders because they accept lower wages. Consequently, they are pursuing a class-action lawsuit against Meta.

Meta Denies Discrimination Claims

Despite the allegations, Meta strongly denies any wrongdoing, calling the claims “baseless.” Furthermore, the company insists it never intended to discriminate. It also argues that the plaintiffs would not have been hired regardless of their citizenship status.

However, the judge rejected Meta’s defense. In particular, she pointed out that 15% of Meta’s U.S. workforce holds H-1B visas, compared to only 0.5% of the total workforce. Moreover, she cited a 2021 case in which Meta paid up to $14.25 million to settle claims that it ignored American workers in favor of temporary visa holders.