Google Finland data center forest clearance halted as wolves enter villages

In early October 2026, Finnish authorities ordered Google's affiliate data center developer Tuike Finland Oy to immediately suspend the illegal cutting of forest. According to reporting from The Guardian, Google had cleared roughly 526 hectares of forest, about 1,300 acres, for a data center, and around 250,000 trees were affected. Finnish authorities gave the company one week to submit a report explaining its actions.

The Guardian later reported, citing local residents, that the cleared primary boreal forest had turned into a wasteland of mud and stumps, forcing wildlife to move away. Near the village of Otanmäki in Finland, wolves lost their natural prey after the forest was cleared and began entering nearby villages to find food. A local resident, Anne Ranta, 53, told The Guardian: "We had wolves coming into the village because all the wild animals moved out of the forest." Ranta's family has lived in Otanmäki for generations, but the repeated disruptions led her to consider leaving permanently. She criticized Google's plan to build a data center there, saying she did not want data centers in that location or anywhere in Finland, and expressed broader unease with AI and the pace of change. Another resident, Antti Jakonen of Muhos, also criticized Google's approach, calling it wrong from the start and "completely the American way."

The incident has intensified European public discontent over the data center boom. The cutting remains suspended as authorities await the company's response, and residents continue to press their opposition.