Russian Court Fines Google US$2 Decillion For Allegedly Limiting Russian Content On YouTube
A Russian court fined Google two undecillion roubles (two followed by 36 zeroes) for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube.
According to BBC, in dollar terms, the fine amounts to $20 decillion ($20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000), far exceeding Google’s market value of $2 trillion and the world’s total GDP of $110 trillion.
The fine doubles every day it is not paid, leading to an astronomical total.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted he “cannot even pronounce this number” but urged Google to address the issue.
The fine originated from complaints by 17 Russian media channels whose content was restricted on YouTube, starting in 2020 and escalating after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Google has not publicly commented on the fine and has ongoing legal matters in Russia.
This development marks the latest escalation in tensions between Russia and the US tech giant.
In May 2021, Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, accused Google of limiting YouTube access for Russian media outlets, including RT and Sputnik, while also alleging support for “illegal protest activity.”
Then, in July 2022, Russia imposed a fine of 21.1 billion roubles (£301 million) on Google for not restricting access to what it deemed “prohibited” material regarding the war in Ukraine and other content.
Press freedom in Russia is nearly non-existent, as independent news outlets and freedom of expression face severe restrictions.
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