A Russian court has imposed an astronomical fine of $20 decillion on Google – an amount that far exceeds the entire world’s money supply – after the tech giant blocked accounts of several pro-Kremlin TV channels on YouTube.
The case, which has attracted global attention due to the unprecedented numbers involved, reflects growing tensions between Google and Russia due to international sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine.
The lawsuit was filed by 17 Russian broadcasters, including Russia 1 and the platform of Russia Today presenter Margarita Simonyan, an outspoken supporter of President Putin. Google’s YouTube removed these accounts under sanctions, prompting judges in Moscow to impose a criminal fine described by the judge as “a case in which there are a lot of zeros,” according to Russian news channel RBC.
Initially, the fine was set at 100,000 rubles per day, which has been doubled every 24 hours since 2020. The resulting fine has now swelled to $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, far exceeding Google’s total revenue of $88.2 billion and market value of $2 trillion, far exceeding the estimated value of the global economy about $100 trillion, according to the World Bank.
Despite mounting pressure, Google has shown little sign of compliance, noting in its latest earnings report that “these ongoing legal matters” are unlikely to have a material impact on its business. Google wound down its Russian division in 2022 and declared bankruptcy of its subsidiary Google LLC in Russia, although it still provides services such as its search engine and YouTube.
In contrast, other platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, have been outright banned by Russian authorities, although Google’s services remain accessible. YouTube’s removal of pro-Moscow content has particularly irritated the Kremlin, especially its ban on propaganda platforms such as Tsargrad TV, owned by oligarch Konstantin Malofeev.
The colossal sum, which ranks as one of the largest penalties in legal history, may be more symbolic than practical given Google’s limited assets in Russia. But as Russia’s legal strategy continues to escalate, the tech giant appears unphased. The team notes that the situation is unlikely to result in a fine as high as a “googol” – a number equal to 10 followed by 100 zeros.