Google sparks backlash after illegal forest clearing for Finnish data centers

‘Don’t be evil’ used to be Google’s favourite motto, featured prominently in its IPO prospectus back in 2004. The company has been quietly moving away from the phrase ever since, relegating it to the last line of their internal code of conduct, presumably because a PR person with a bit of foresight pointed out at that snarky journalists would keep referencing it in the first paragraph of any article whenever they were caught up in wrongdoing.

And so we turn to Finland where Google, acting like a clichéd villain from some kids movie, has chopped down approximately 400,000 trees without permission in order to make way for new data centers. Even the top soil has been stripped away, causing long-lasting damage to biodiversity.

The government says the law was not followed and the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority has now put a temporary halt to development at Muhos and Otanmäki while assessments can be reviewed.

One local resident quoted by the Guardian, says wolves have been entering their village since Google destroyed part of their forest home.

Google’s behaviour has been sharply criticised by conservationists and prompted a wider debate in Finland about the cost and benefits of data centers on such a scale.

Europe does need tech infrastructure, especially for AI, and foreign investment is very welcome.

But by riding roughshod over laws and local communities, this behaviour risks reinforcing many people’s worst perceptions of AI, jeopardising wider development.

Google says it acted in good faith, but has “fallen short of our own high standards in this instance" and will follow the agency's guidance as it continues to invest in Finland.

Let's also hope more European companies invest in the kind of smart, energy-efficient infrastructure needed for European tech sovereignty, including in AI, without driving up bills or alienating local communities like this.