Russia is demanding an astonishing sum from one of the world’s largest tech companies, Google, as the Kremlin claims the company owes over 2 undecillion rubles —a 2 followed by 36 zeroes. This staggering amount so vast it’s virtually unpronounceable and dwarfs the size of the global economy.
The dispute stems from Google’s decision to block pro-Russian channels on YouTube, leading to fines that are rapidly escalating. According to Russian state media TASS, a court has ordered Google to restore the blocked channels, many of which have been unavailable since 2022, or face penalties that double every week.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on the surreal nature of the fine, admitting, “I can’t even pronounce this figure right,” but asserting that it symbolizes Russia’s stance against perceived censorship by the tech giant. He insisted that Google “should not be restricting the actions of our broadcasters on its platform.”
In its latest earnings report, Google’s parent company, Alphabet—valued at around $2 trillion—acknowledged “ongoing legal matters” in Russia.
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The company stated, “Civil judgments that include compounding penalties have been imposed upon us in connection with disputes regarding the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties.
Despite the escalating legal battle, Google believes these challenges will not materially affect its earnings.
Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Google scaled back its operations in the country but did not exit entirely, unlike several other American tech firms. While services such as Search and YouTube remain operational in Russia, the situation took a dramatic turn when Google’s Russian subsidiary filed for bankruptcy and suspended most commercial activities after the government seized its bank accounts.
As this unprecedented legal saga unfolds, the implications for Google and the broader tech industry remain uncertain, raising questions about the intersection of international law and digital platform governance.
