Google has been fined approximately two undecillion rubles, or $2.5 decillion, by a Russian court for refusing to restore accounts belonging to pro-Kremlin and state-run media outlets, as reported by The Moscow Times citing RBC news. This astronomical fine, far exceeding the World Bank’s global GDP estimate of $100 trillion, follows a four-year legal dispute that began when Google-owned YouTube banned the ultra-nationalist Russian channel Tsargrad in response to U.S. sanctions imposed on its owner.
“Google was held liable by a Russian court under Article 13.41 of the Administrative Offenses Code for removing channels on the YouTube platform. The court ordered the company to reinstate these channels,” lawyer Ivan Morozov told state-run media outlet TASS.
The ruling specifies that if the fine is not paid within nine months, it will double each day thereafter. Morozov further stated that there is no cap on this penalty, and Google could only resume operations in the Russian market by complying with the court’s directive.
To put the fine into perspective, an undecillion is one followed by 36 zeros. Considering Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported revenues exceeding $307 billion in 2023, it seems unlikely that the company would be able to pay this staggering amount. The penalty comes amid Google’s filing of three countersuits in August against Russian media outlets, calling the court’s decision “unconscionable.”
This judgment aligns with the strained relationship between Russia and Google, particularly after Google announced in February 2020 that it was halting monetization for Russian state-funded media due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A Reuters report states that Google has since blocked over 1,000 YouTube channels in accordance with its content policies regarding the conflict.
