Finland opens criminal probe into Google data centre land clearance - The News International

Finnish police said on Thursday they had launched a criminal investigation into suspected breaches of environmental law ‌at the construction site of a planned Google data centre in northern Finland.

The project is part of a plan announced last month by Alphabet's Google to invest $15 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure in Finland, which the US company described as its largest investment in Europe.

Authorities have said Tuike Finland, a subsidiary of Alphabet's Google, conducted forest clearing and drainage at a planned site near the town of Muhos before the environmental impact assessments required under Finnish law had been completed.

A Google spokesperson said the company would cooperate with the ⁠police investigation and continue to focus on maintaining compliance at its sites.

"We are investigating whether the company's operations have breached the water act and resulted in environmental damage," Detective Superintendent Kari Pakanen told Reuters, adding that a guilty finding could lead to a corporate fine.

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

Preliminary information showed ambiguities and shortcomings in the drainage and water management at Tuike's site, police said in a statement, adding that they would give an update in December but that the investigation would extend into 2027.