Google may take its battle for global domination to the high seas with the launch of its own “computer navy”. The company is considering deploying the supercomputers necessary to operate its internet search engines on barges anchored up to seven miles (11km) offshore.

The “water-based data centres” would use wave energy to power and cool their computers, reducing Google’s costs. Their offshore status would also mean the company would no longer have to pay property taxes on its data centres, which are sited across the world, including in Britain.

Combine dreams of floating jurisdiction free anarchist colonies with one of the worlds wealthiest corporations... An interesting idea of a science fiction book but I tend to agree with Hakim Bey that anarchy in the modern world only works in pockets that are small enough in both space and time to avoid the attention of society.

Google planning offshore water-based data centers