Anger after Google cuts 500 hectares of trees for data centres in Finland

Finnish police have launched a criminal investigation into suspected breaches of environmental law at the construction site of a planned Google data centre.

The Oulu Police Department said on Thursday it had launched an investigation into Google's Finnish subsidiary, Tuike, over work conducted in Muhos in northern Finland.

Tuike cleared about 330 hectares of forest in Muhos and nearly 200 hectares at a second site in Kajaani before mandatory environmental impact assessments were completed.

Google recently announced a US$15 billion ($21 billion) investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure in Finland, described by the company as its largest investment in Europe.

The clear cutting has seen the US tech giant's plans mired in controversy, sparking criticism from citizens concerned about their impact.

How did the logging unfold?

Documents seen by Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (HS) revealed that logging at the Muhos site began in March and continued for months.

Finland's Supervisory Agency (LVV) responded to correspondence from Tuike in May, saying environmental impact assessments had to be completed before logging could begin.

In September, Google announced its plans to invest $21 billion over two years to build data centres in Finland.

A week later, Finnish news agency STT reported on allegations by an environmental organisation that Google had cleared forest illegally at the Muhos and Kajaani sites.

In early October, LVV ordered Google to halt work at both sites.

Google's Finland country manager, Antti Järvinen, apologised for the clearances and said the company believed the clear cuts complied with the law.

What is Google being investigated for?

The case was being investigated as "environmental degradation", police said, adding that additional criminal classifications would possibly be specified later in the investigation.

"We are investigating whether the company's operations have breached the water act and resulted in environmental damage," Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen told Reuters news agency.

Preliminary information showed ambiguities and shortcomings in the drainage and water management at Tuike's site, police said in a statement.

Police said an update on the case would be given in December, but the investigation would extend into 2027.

Will Google face consequences?

A guilty finding in the investigation could lead to a corporate fine, Detective Pakanen said.

It is up to the regulator to decide on any permits to restart the work at the sites, he said.

Detective Pakanen declined to say whether any individuals could become a target of the investigation.

A Google spokesperson said the company was "actively responding to enquiries from LVV and other authorities".

What is happening at the data centre sites now?

LVV said the works would be halted temporarily until the mandatory environmental impact assessments had been completed.

An LVV spokesperson said it was unclear how long it might take before the agency grants the relevant permits.

Google's AI push

Google has data centres in 36 locations across four continents, with 31 more in development.

While data centres are expanding rapidly across the world, powering and cooling their servers requires large amounts of water and electricity.

Finland's cool climate, low-carbon electricity and the government endorsement of AI projects have contributed to making it one of Europe's main destinations for data centre investments in recent years.

Google's planned investments in the Nordic country include data centres, electricity grid improvements and clean energy and battery projects to power services such as Google's AI Gemini, Search, Maps and YouTube.

There are concerns over an increased electricity demand pushing up power prices, but Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo last month played down those concerns and said the Google deal would boost the economy.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Mr Orpo continued to back the investment by Google, but said the corporation would have to "learn" from the incident and follow the law.

More than 98,000 people have signed a petition demanding the Finnish government enact tougher regulations on data centres.

Similar concerns over the impacts of data centres are being echoed in communities around the world, including in Australia and the United States where the issue has become central in the country's crucial midterm elections.