A Russian court has imposed an astronomical fine on Google, ordering the tech giant to pay an unprecedented two undecillion roubles—a figure with 36 zeroes—for restricting Russian state media channels on YouTube. In dollar terms, this amounts to $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, which vastly exceeds Google’s $2 trillion valuation and even the entire global GDP, estimated by the IMF at $110 trillion.
This fine, described as “gargantuan” by Russia’s Tass news agency, continues to grow rapidly. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov admitted he “cannot even pronounce this number” but advised Google to “pay attention” to the situation. Google has yet to issue a public statement.
The massive fine is linked to Google’s restriction of content from 17 Russian media outlets on YouTube, a dispute that began in 2020 and intensified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This period saw most Western companies exit the Russian market amid stringent sanctions. Russian media was subsequently banned in Europe, prompting retaliatory measures from Moscow.
Though Google declared its Russian subsidiary bankrupt in 2022 and ceased commercial services like advertising in the country, its products remain accessible. This fine marks the latest development in ongoing tensions between Russia and Google. In recent years, Russia’s media regulator, Roskomnadzor, has repeatedly accused Google of supporting “illegal protest activity” and fined it 21.1 billion roubles in 2022 for failing to block “prohibited” material about the war in Ukraine. In a nation where press freedom is heavily restricted, such fines underscore the escalating confrontation between Russia and major US tech companies.
