Google faces criminal inquiry in Finland over illegal data centre forest clearance

Finnish police have launched a criminal investigation into Google over the alleged clearance of 330 hectares of forest for a planned data centre in northern Finland before required environmental impact assessments were finished.

The Oulu Police Department opened a preliminary investigation following a request from the Finnish Supervisory Agency.

Authorities are examining suspected environmental damage at a construction site in Muhos, operated by Google subsidiary Tuike Finland.

Earlier this month, regulators ordered Google to suspend preparatory work at both the Muhos site and another project in Otanmäki. Campaigners estimate that hundreds of thousands of trees have been cut down across the two locations.

The Supervisory Agency stated that the company’s water management plans were insufficient. Google has until November 5 to submit detailed plans covering drainage, monitoring, and risks from heavy rainfall and acidic soils.

Google country manager Antti Järvinen apologized for the tree clearing, stating that the company acted according to its understanding of the law at the time.

The data centre project is part of a larger 13-billion-euro investment by Google in Finland. The government has strongly supported foreign tech investments to boost economic growth.

However, the case has triggered a national debate over energy consumption, environmental protection, and benefits for local communities. A public petition on data centre regulations has gathered more than 93,000 signatures.

Police expect the preliminary investigation to continue into next year. Authorities plan to provide an update on the probe in December.

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