Google ordered to halt Finland data center construction over environmental assessment lapse

Google has been ordered to temporarily halt construction work on two data centers in Finland after failing to carry out required environmental impact assessments at the sites.

The order affects planned facilities in Muhos and Kajaani, part of a broader 13 billion euro investment program spanning multiple sites across northern Finland as the technology company seeks to expand capacity for online infrastructure.

Finnish authorities said the necessary environmental assessments had not been completed before construction began, prompting the temporary stop-work order on the two sites.

The pause underscores the regulatory scrutiny facing large-scale data center construction as demand for computing infrastructure, driven in part by cloud computing and artificial intelligence, continues to grow across the region.