Google faces unprecedented fines in Russia totaling 2 undecillion rubles (approximately $2.5 decillion) for refusing to reinstate accounts belonging to pro-Kremlin and state-run media, the RBC news site reported on Tuesday, citing sources close to court decisions impacting the tech giant.
Google’s penalties reportedly began accumulating in 2020, after Russian state-affiliated outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN secured legal victories against the company for blocking their YouTube channels. The initial daily fine of 100,000 rubles has doubled weekly, bringing the cumulative penalty to the current staggering figure of 2 undecillion rubles—a figure with 36 zeros. For perspective, Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company, earned over $307 billion in revenue in 2023, yet the exorbitant fine is unlikely to be paid.
RBC’s sources indicate that a total of 17 Russian broadcasters, including Channel One, Zvezda, and representatives of RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan, have lodged claims against Google. YouTube, under Google, blocked Russian state-run outlets due to their support for the Ukrainian invasion, prompting Russian authorities to respond with significant fines, though they stopped short of banning the platform outright.
In 2022, Google’s Russian branch filed for bankruptcy and was declared insolvent last fall, following Alphabet’s suspension of advertising operations in Russia to align with Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict. This decision aligns with Dubai’s broader tech sector developments, highlighting the ongoing global impacts of regional policies and digital regulations.
