Russia slaps Google with astronomical fine over YouTube bans on state media accounts

Google faces an astronomical fine reportedly exceeding two undecillion rubles – a figure followed by 36 zeros – after removing pro-government and state-run accounts from its YouTube platform, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

To put this figure in perspective, an undecillion is a trillion times a trillion times a trillion. The fine eclipses the entire global economy, with the International Monetary Fund pegging world GDP at around $110 trillion.

With Google’s parent company, Alphabet, currently valued at $2.16 trillion, the tech giant appears unlikely to settle the hefty fine in the foreseeable future. However, the penalty continues to grow due to non-payment, with provisions in place to double the amount daily if it remains unpaid for nine months, according to Russian media outlet RBC News.

The mounting fine stems from Google’s refusal to reinstate YouTube accounts linked to 17 Russian TV channels, including Tsargrad TV and RIA FAN, originally blocked due to U.S. sanctions laws. RBC News reported that the case escalated significantly after YouTube suspended accounts associated with Sputnik and RT following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A judge overseeing the case on October 28 remarked on the “many, many zeros” involved, underscoring the unprecedented scale of the penalty.

Russian authorities have stipulated that Google may only re-enter the Russian market if it complies with the court’s ruling.

[Information sourced from Sky News]