Russia fines Google more than all money in the world

MOSCOW: In an unprecedented move, Russia has slapped Google with a staggering fine of 20 undecillion rubles (approximately $2.5 decillion) for removing state-run and government YouTube channels following the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This astronomical figure equates to $2.5 trillion trillion trillion, or $2,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the sheer size of the fine, admitting he couldn’t even pronounce it, and emphasized that the amount is largely symbolic. According to Russian news agency TASS, the fine is based on violations of the country’s administrative offenses code due to the banning of YouTube channels.

Should Google fail to pay the fine within nine months, the amount will double every day indefinitely. Moreover, the tech giant will be barred from operating in Russia until the penalty is settled. Peskov clarified that the hefty fines were intended to pressure Google into lifting restrictions on Russian YouTube channels, highlighting that the total legal claims against the company have reached two undecillion rubles—a sum exceeding the total money in the world.

Since initiating its offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has imposed significant fines on social media platforms accused of hosting content critical of the Kremlin or supportive of Ukraine. Although YouTube remains accessible in Russia, authorities have consistently threatened to shut it down due to its bans on Russian state-owned content.

In an effort to enforce compliance, Russian courts have repeatedly fined Google, with legal costs compounding daily. The Kremlin insists that Google should unblock Russian TV channels on YouTube, hoping the enormous legal claims will prompt action from the US-based company.

In March 2022, Google halted ad services for Russian users and paused monetization of content it deemed to exploit or condone the war in Ukraine. Since then, it has blocked over 1,000 YouTube channels, including those associated with state-sponsored news, and removed more than 5.5 million videos. Peskov reiterated that Google must not restrict the activities of Russian broadcasters and urged the company’s management to take the situation seriously and make necessary corrections.