A Russian court has fined Google an astronomical $20 decillion—an amount that far exceeds the value of the entire world’s currency—after the tech giant blocked the accounts of several pro-Kremlin TV channels on YouTube.
The case, which has attracted worldwide attention due to its unprecedented number, reflects the growing tension between Google and Russia following international sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict.
The case was brought forward by 17 Russian broadcasters, including Russia 1 and Russia Today presenter Margarita Simonyan, who is a supporter of President Putin. Google’s YouTube removed these accounts under sanctions, prompting Moscow judges to hand down a fine that the judge described as “a crime with many, many zeros,” according to Russian news agency RBC.
Initially, the fine was set at 100,000 rubles daily, doubling every 24 hours from 2020. The resulting fine has now risen to $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 2 billion dollars in market revenue and a total of $8. reducing the estimated value of the world economy is estimated at $100 trillion, according to the World Bank.
Despite the mounting pressure, Google has shown little sign of compliance, noting in its latest earnings report that “these ongoing legal issues” are unlikely to have a material impact on its performance. Google ended its Russian division in 2022, declaring bankruptcy of its subsidiary Google LLC in Russia, although it continues to provide services such as its search engine and YouTube.
In contrast, other platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, are completely banned by the Russian authorities, although Google services remain accessible. YouTube’s removal of pro-Moscow content has greatly angered the Kremlin, particularly banning propaganda platforms such as Tsargrad TV, owned by oligarch Konstantin Malofeev.
The huge sum, which stands as one of the largest fines in legal history, may be more symbolic than practical given Google’s limited assets in Russia. However, as Russia’s legal strategy continues to evolve, the tech giant appears unmoved, with its team noting that the situation is unlikely to reach a “googol” fine—a number equal to 10 followed by 100 zeros.
