Google has been ordered to halt key construction work at two planned AI data centre sites in Finland. Regulators found that the company carried out extensive land clearing with an an estimated 250,000 trees cut before completing legally required environmental impact assessments (EIA).

The order affects Google’s projects in Muhos and Otanmäki, which form part of the company’s multibillion-euro AI infrastructure expansion in the Nordic country.FILE The Google logo is seen during Kering Innovation Day 2026 at the company’s headquarters in Paris, France, January 22, 2026. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo (REUTERS)The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) directed Google’s local subsidiary, Tuike Finland Oy, to immediately suspend preparatory work that significantly alters the environment until the EIA process is completed.

The order covers tree removal, excavation, topsoil stripping, road construction, drainage work and other major site preparation. Planning, surveying and soil studies may continue.Roughly 330 hectares (815 acres) of forest were cleared at Muhos, while nearly 200 hectares were logged at Otanmäki before environmental assessments were completed.

The Guardian has reported that around 250,000 trees were felled at Muhos, with about 150,000 more removed at Otanmäki.Also read: US State Department rejects report of foreign service officers' loyalty to Trump being tested before promotionGoogle apologizes after regulator intervenesGoogle acknowledged the controversy and apologized after the regulator’s decision.Antti Järvinen, Google’s Finland manager, told The Guardian that the company had acted “on the best understanding we had of the legislation at the time.”The company has also said it “fell short of our own high standards” and confirmed that preparatory work stopped after the LVV’s order. Google said it would fully comply with the regulator while continuing discussions with Finnish authorities.

It has proposed biodiversity measures, including replanting trees across about 130 hectares at the Muhos site.Also read: 85-year-old US entrepreneur Martha Stewart calls work-life balance a myth, says she starts work at 7 amRegulators cite environmental concernsLVV said the extensive preparatory work had already significantly altered the environment.Environmental groups and local residents argue the scale of the forest clearance has caused lasting ecological damage. According to The Guardian, residents reported muddy runoff entering nearby waterways.

Some locals also claimed animals displaced by the logging had begun entering nearby communities.The halt has also raised concerns around Finland’s rapid expansion as a European hub for AI data centers. Finland has attracted technology companies because of its cool climate, renewable energy supply and digital infrastructure.

Moreover, the Finnish government has encouraged the AI investment.However, environmental organizations argue that large projects should not proceed before mandatory environmental reviews are finished. A public petition calling for stricter regulation of data centre developments has attracted more than 93,000 signatures, according to The Guardian.Google announced earlier this year that it plans to invest about €13 billion (roughly $15 billion) in AI infrastructure across Finland through 2028.

The expansion includes projects in Hamina, Muhos, Kajaani and Vaala.