According to Russia Google news, Russian court has imposed 2 undecillion rubles fine on Google (a figure with 36 zeroes). In dollar terms, this fine translates to approximately $20 decillion or $20 billion trillion trillion, an amount exceeding the market value of Google’s parent company, Alphabet, as well as the total global economy.
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In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, YouTube implemented a worldwide ban on several Russian state-controlled media channels including RT and Sputnik.
The platform cited content policies against promoting narratives that justify or minimize violent events including war, as justification for the bans.
Russia Google News has frequently highlighted the tension between tech giants and the Kremlin over these bans with Moscow interpreting them as censorship.
A Russian court ruled that by blocking these channels, Google had violated Russia’s broadcasting regulations, prompting legal actions from multiple Russian broadcasters against Google.
Moscow argues that Google’s actions suppress the voices of Russian state-backed media and denies Russian audiences access to state perspectives.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the fine, although symbolic, aims to compel Google to reconsider its stance on Russian content restrictions on YouTube.
According to Russia Google news, the fine imposed on Google amounts to $20 decillion, 20 followed by 34 zeroes, which is larger than the global GDP estimated at around $110 trillion.
The fine has set a new record in global financial penalties, becoming a major topic under Russia Google News due to its scale and largely symbolic nature.
Russian courts have ruled that Google’s penalties will double every day it fails to restore Russian media channels on YouTube.
With no cap on the potential penalty, this compounding mechanism escalates Google’s financial obligations. Russian courts initially set smaller fines on Google for restricting state-affiliated media, but this compounding mechanism has amplified the fines to such figures.
The Kremlin’s spokesperson clarified that the fine is filled with symbolism, acknowledging that such a vast sum is impractical for any entity, let alone a single company.
Russian officials hope that this symbolic penalty under Russia Google News coverage will make Google to revisit its restrictive policies against Russian broadcasters.
Despite the legal pressures, Google has continued to operate partially within Russia, allowing access to essential services like Google Search and YouTube.
However, Google’s financial operations in Russia have faced setbacks, with its local subsidiary filing for bankruptcy in 2022 following the seizure of its bank accounts by the Russian government.
Since 2020, Google has faced multiple lawsuits and penalties in Russia, initially with a daily fine of 100,000 rubles related to blocked Russian channels.
As Russia Google News has tracked, these fines is from Google’s refusal to lift restrictions on sanctioned channels operated by entities like the Wagner Group and oligarch Konstantin Malofeev.
In June 2024, South Africa’s High Court granted a motion for Russian plaintiffs to seize Google assets within its jurisdiction.
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According to Russia Google news, Seventeen Russian state-affiliated media outlets have filed suits demanding the restoration of their channels on YouTube. These broadcasters argue that their removal infringes upon freedom of expression and limits their ability to convey information to international audiences.
Russian broadcasters have pursued additional legal avenues in countries such as Turkey, Hungary and Spain to enforce Russian court decisions against Google.
Due to ongoing sanctions and Russia’s financial seizures, Google’s subsidiary in Russia declared bankruptcy in 2022 after its bank accounts were seized by the Russian government.
In recent months, Google has taken additional measures to limit its activities in Russia such as restricting new account creations for Russian users and suspending AdSense accounts in the country.
According to Russia Google news, Free services like YouTube and Search remain operational in Russia.
Russian state-controlled media channels outlet TASS confirmed that the fine would continue to grow weekly if Google fails to comply with court mandates.
Alphabet’s stock saw an increase of over 5% following the announcement of its quarterly earnings, which exceeded Wall Street expectations
In 2021, Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor accused Google of supporting illegal protest activity by limiting access to state-affiliated media on YouTube.
Google had previously been fined approximately 21.1 billion rubles by Russia in 2022 for not complying with government regulations about prohibited content including narratives on the Ukraine conflict that oppose Russia’s official stance.
Press freedom in Russia is highly restricted, with independent media outlets and freedom of speech tightly controlled by the government.
This fine on Google highlights Russia’s insistence on ensuring state-backed content remains visible regarding contentious issues such as the Ukraine invasion.
Blocking state-backed content on platforms like YouTube is perceived by Russia as a direct interference with its national messaging.
According to Russia Google news, the fine surpasses Google’s $2 trillion market valuation and dwarfs the global GDP several times over. In fact, the fine exceeds a googol in size, a term ironically tied to Google’s namesake.
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