On 15 April 2022, a tablet in Moscow displayed Google’s logo, marking a challenging period for the US tech company, which is now facing a monumental fine in Russia.
A Russian court imposed a $2.5 decillion fine on Google, equivalent to a staggering $2.5 trillion trillion trillion, for allegedly blocking pro-Kremlin content on YouTube.
This penalty has been growing weekly under Russian law since the initial fine of 100,000 rubles was issued in 2020 following lawsuits by media outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN over YouTube restrictions.
According to reports, Google banned additional media channels in 2022 over their support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to more penalties.
Despite reporting a revenue of $306 billion last year, Google restricted Russian users’ new account creations and disabled AdSense accounts in Russia recently, while suspending online ads for Russian users since March 2022 as part of wider sanctions.
These restrictions led Russian authorities to seize Google’s bank accounts, causing its Russian subsidiary to file for bankruptcy.
Nonetheless, Google’s free services, like YouTube and Search, continue to operate in Russia.
In a recent financial report, Google acknowledged its ongoing legal challenges in Russia, noting that these would likely not severely impact its business.
Meanwhile, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, saw a 5% share increase in after-hours trading following its third-quarter earnings, seemingly unaffected by the fine.
