Finland Opens Criminal Case Over Google Data Center Forest Clearing

Finnish authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the suspected environmental damage caused by Google at two AI infrastructure sites in the northern part of the country. The probe targets the illegal felling of an estimated 400,000 trees and the alteration of waterways and topsoil without mandatory environmental impact assessments. The projects are part of a €13 billion AI investment, and Google has apologized, stating it believed it was complying with the law, and has pledged to replant 130 hectares of forest.