MOSCOW, Russia – Authorities in Russia have demanded an unprecedented sum from one of the world’s largest tech companies, Google — a fine reportedly amounting to more than 2 undecillion rubles, or $20 decillion, due to the company’s continued refusal to unblock certain pro-Russian channels on YouTube.
The staggering figure, a two followed by 36 zeroes, represents fines that compound weekly, doubling each time Google fails to comply with a Russian court’s mandate to restore access to the channels.
This monumental penalty dwarfs the size of the global economy: the entire world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is estimated at $110 trillion by the International Monetary Fund, a relatively modest sum in comparison.
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is valued at approximately $2 trillion, making the Kremlin’s claim an astronomical demand.
According to Russian state media TASS, the court originally ordered Google to lift its block on specific channels — some of which have been inaccessible since early 2022 — under threat of escalating financial penalties.
Google has cited ongoing legal concerns with Russian operations in its recent quarterly earnings but dismissed any expectation of substantial financial impact from these particular fines.
“Civil judgments that include compounding penalties have been imposed upon us,” Google acknowledged, particularly in relation to accounts linked to sanctioned parties.
However, the company stated that it does not foresee these cases significantly affecting its earnings.
When questioned about the enormous sum on Thursday, November 7, 2024, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he was unable to “even pronounce this figure” but suggested it was more symbolic than practical, emphasising that Google should not be restricting Russian broadcasters.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Google scaled back operations in the country, stopping short of a complete exit, unlike several other American tech giants.
Services such as Google Search and YouTube remain accessible in Russia, although the company’s local subsidiary declared bankruptcy shortly after Russian authorities seized control of its bank accounts.
Despite its partial withdrawal, Google continues to navigate complex legal terrain in Russia, where escalating penalties are adding a new dimension to ongoing tensions between Western tech companies and Russian authorities.
