The new facility in Lahti is part of TikTok’s €12 billion Project Clover aimed at data sovereignty for European users. The Finnish defence ministry approved the initial data centre investment in 2024 without notifying elected officials, prompting a former minister to call for a project reassessment.
TikTok plans to invest €1 billion ($1.16 billion) in a second data centre in Finland, announced on Wednesday. Located in Lahti’s Kiverio district, the facility will serve the city of about 121,000 residents in southern Finland.
The centre will feature an initial capacity of 50 megawatts, with potential expansion to 128 megawatts. Construction aims for completion within a year, with operational status expected by 2027.
This Lahti facility marks TikTok’s second investment in Finland under Project Clover, a €12 billion initiative for European data sovereignty to manage data of over 200 million European users locally.
The first Finnish centre in Kouvola plans to be operational by late 2026. Currently, European data is managed with enhanced safeguards in Norway, Ireland, and the US. The Finnish investments are part of efforts to fully transition from US-hosted infrastructure.
The announcement coincides with a complex period for TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, which narrowly avoided a US ban in January over data protection issues.
Europe intensifies scrutiny on social media about child safety, making TikTok’s major infrastructure investment in Europe both a necessary business move and a political strategy.
On the same day, Greece declared a social media ban for children under 15 starting January 2027, urging the EU to follow their lead.
Finland’s political response has been mixed. The Finnish defence ministry approved the initial data centre plan in 2024 without consulting elected officials.
Wille Rydman, former economic affairs minister, requested project reconsideration upon public disclosure, citing security concerns and company transparency issues.
Rydman expressed hope that TikTok’s local property partner would reconsider leasing to TikTok. In contrast, Lahti’s mayor, Niko Kyynäräinen, saw the investment as beneficial for the city.
Finland is increasingly attractive for hyperscale data centre investments, drawing companies like Microsoft and Google, due to its favorable climate, renewable energy access, and regulatory stability.