TikTok reportedly plans to spend 1 billion euros ($1.16 billion) on a second data centre in Finland, expanding its goal to keep European user data within the region.
The new site will be built in Lahti, in southern Finland and the company said it will start with a capacity of 50 megawatts and could expand to 128 megawatts over time.
Projecting the facility to be up and running by 2027, TikTok began work on its first Finnish data centre in Kouvola less than a year ago. This is due to become operational by the end of this year.
Together, both sites are part of a 12 billion euro plan to store and manage European data locally.
TikTok says the programme is designed to strengthen safety for more than 200 million users across Europe. The company currently stores European data across centres in Norway, Ireland and the United States, with added security measures in place.
Pressure on TikTok has been growing on both sides of the Atlantic. In Europe, regulators are paying more attention to how social media platforms handle user data and protect children.
In the United States, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, avoided a ban in January after agreeing to strengthen data management.
Finland has attracted a steady flow of data centre projects in recent years. Similar investments have come from tech firms, drawn by the country’s cold climate, which reduces cooling costs, and its supply of low-cost, low-carbon electricity. The regulatory environment has also helped.
Still, not everyone in Finland is fully convinced. Last year, when details of TikTok’s first project emerged, some politicians said they were not properly informed. Questions around security and transparency have not completely gone away.
Local officials in Lahti have taken a more positive view. Mayor Niko Kyynarainen said, “In the context of Lahti, the investment is substantial. We are pleased that a main tenant agreement has been signed and that the project is progressing as planned.”
