Key Highlights
- Russia fines Google for not restoring YouTube accounts linked to Russian TV channels.
- The fine is about $20.6 decillion — a figure many orders of magnitude beyond the world’s GDP.
The Russian legal system recently imposed an extraordinary fine on Google, a staggering two undecillion rubles, in response to Google’s continued restriction of state-run and pro-government Russian channels on YouTube.
To grasp the scale of the fine, two undecillion is a two followed by 36 zeros—an amount that far surpasses Google’s market value of $2.16 trillion and the entire world’s estimated GDP of $110 trillion.
This figure, valued at approximately $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 in U.S. dollars, exemplifies the extent of Russia’s stance on foreign tech companies perceived to undermine its media presence and control.
A Spiraling Penalty
The Russian state news agency Tass reported that the fine, which remains unpaid, is set to increase exponentially. Should Google fail to pay within nine months, the penalty will begin to double daily.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov admitted the number was almost impossible to articulate, yet urged Google’s management to “pay attention.” Google has not responded publicly or provided a statement to the media.
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This development signals another level of the ongoing tension between the tech giant and Russian authorities, with no foreseeable resolution.
YouTube Restrictions and Escalating Tensions
The roots of the dispute lie in Google’s restrictions on Russian media channels on YouTube, including prominent outlets like RT and Sputnik.
This situation escalated following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, prompting Western businesses to withdraw from Russia in compliance with international sanctions, while Russian media faced bans in Europe.
As a response, Moscow imposed its own retaliatory measures, which included demanding the reinstatement of banned accounts on YouTube.
Russian courts have now officially blocked Google’s access to the Russian market until it complies with court orders to restore these accounts.
An Ongoing Conflict
The friction between Google and Russia has not been without precedence. In 2021, Roskomnadzor, Russia’s media regulator, accused Google of restricting access to Russian outlets and supporting what it termed “illegal protest activity.”
The following year, Google faced a fine of 21.1 billion rubles ($301 million) for failing to limit access to content Russia deemed inappropriate regarding the Ukraine conflict.
The latest record-breaking fine represents a climax in Russia’s confrontational approach to foreign tech firms and highlights the severe restrictions on press freedom within the country.
