The Utah Data Center is a huge government facility in Bluffdale, Utah that stores personal emails, Internet searches, cell phone calls, and other public data. Part of the National Security Agency, the massive data repository is reported to have the largest data storage capacity in the world.

Is Big Brother watching you? Every time you text, check email, make a call from your cell phone, or shop online, the data generated from that activity may be collected by the government and stored right here in Utah, in a massive data center.
Nipitphon Na Chiangmai/EyeEm Collection via Getty Images
The Utah Data Center is located at Camp Williams in Bluffdale. It cost $1.5 billion to build, and it was the first of its kind. The Intelligence Community Comprehensive National Cyber-Security Initiative Data Center is one of four such centers in the country.
NSA.gov
The center's code name is "Bumblehive," and it includes more than 20 buildings that cover more than 1 million square feet.
NSA.gov
Governor Herbert stated in 2012 that the center would collect and store a yottabyte of data. The NSA states that the actual storage capacity of the center is classified, but acknowledges that it does contain a very vast amount of data and that it was built with the capacity to keep expanding.
NSA.gov
The facility includes large water storage tanks, cooling towers, and chiller plants. Some reports estimate that it requires 1.7 million gallons of water per day.
NSA.gov
The supercomputer that processes and stores all this data is called "Cascade," and it's capable of computing 100,000 trillion calculations per second.
Erik Isakson/DigitalVision via Getty Images
This stock photo does not depict the actual supercomputer used at the Utah Data Center.
According to the NSA, the data collected and stored here includes text messages, phone calls, website visits, Internet searches, emails, credit card information, travel information, legal documents, financial information, and health records.
Mirage C/Moment Collection via Getty Images
Whether you're shopping for a toaster on Amazon, or booking a flight online to visit your grandmother in Cleveland, the NSA might have records of your online activity.
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Most of the data that's collected and stored isn't of interest to the NSA (they don't care about your visit to Grandma). The NSA says that the purpose of collecting all this data is for surveillance and monitoring of suspicious activity and terrorism.
Throughout the years, there's been plenty of controversy surrounding the Utah Data Center and the NSA's mass surveillance of private data at this facility and others. What do you think?
By User:ParkerHiggins (Electronic Frontier Foundation)/Wikimedia, Public Domain

You’ll find a lot more information about the Utah Data Center from the NSA.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about the Utah Data Center in the comments! What do you think about this surveillance and storage of the public’s digital data? There are some weird laws in Utah that you may wish to know about.

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The Most Amazing Facts About Utah

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What are some hidden facts about Utah?

Some hidden facts about Utah include:

  • The record low temperature rivaled that of Minnesota at -69°F on February 1, 1985. In comparison, Minnesota’s was -60°F.
  • The biggest Hindu Color Festival, also known as Holi, takes place in Utah at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork.
  • Utah was originally part of Mexico when the Mormon pioneers arrived. Seven years later, the Mexican-American war ended and it became part of the United States.
  • The first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise wasn’t in Kentucky but in Utah. It opened in 1952.

Learn more about these and other hidden facts about Utah. 

What are the most shocking facts about Utah?

The most shocking facts about Utah include:

  • Utah continues to rank last in the entire country for spending on education per student. No state spends less.
  • Utah is also dead last when it comes to gender equality. Women have the least pay, the least education, and the least political empowerment in Utah.
  • What Utah is number one at is affinity fraud. This is when people are scammed by people they know and often trust.
  • Utah is among the states with the highest rates of prescription drug abuse and overdoses in the country.

Find out more about the most shocking facts about Utah. 

What are the weirdest laws in Utah?

The weirdest laws in Utah include:

  • It is illegal to hunt whales in the state of Utah, even though there are no whales in the entire state, not even in the Great Salt Lake.
  • When fishing, you may not use corn or hominy as fishing bait. You can’t even have it on your person.
  • In the town of Logan, it is unlawful to swear, use expletives, curse, use bad words, or however else you’d like to say them.
  • In Salt Lake City, it is illegal to herd your sheep down the street without express permission from the mayor.

Discover more about the weirdest laws in Utah. 

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17800 Redwood Rd, Bluffdale, UT 84065, USA