> “Illegal” means a judge found you guilty.

No, “guilty” means a judge found you guilty. Illegal means you did something that’s not legal. People doing illegal things without getting caught or sentenced happens all the time. Speeding in your car is illegal, whether or not a judge finds you guilty.

That’s only if you are referring to a case, in common parlance it is fine to use illegally to describe yet to be or never to be litigated actions. “Allegedly” is used to mitigate liability risk or hedge on uncertainty.

it’s ok i think the megacorp can fend for themselves and their illegal and amoral actions

That is just not true. Journalists can make strong claims if they are certain in their conviction. If there is a law which were protecting these trees, one can firmly state cutting them down was illegal, because it is a statement of fact.

It’s the nypost. They don’t have journalists.

Anyway if you read the original guardian piece it does seem this was deemed illegal. The related government department halted their work saying it was not permitted. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2026/...

> Earlier this month, Google was ordered by the Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority (LVV) to temporarily stop work on Muhos and another site about 100km south-east in the village of Otanmäki after it failed to complete the necessary environmental impact assessments before clearcutting the land