Russia fines Google impossible sum for blocking YouTube channels

Oct 31

Simone Del Rosario Reporter

By Simone Del Rosario (Reporter), Alex Delia (Producer), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

A Russian court has fined Google an unprecedented $20 decillion after the tech giant blocked Kremlin-linked channels on YouTube. The fine, which doubles every week Google refuses to pay, reflects the widening rift between Russia and global tech companies over sanctions and content controls.

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The court’s ruling stems from lawsuits filed in 2020 by Russian outlets Tsargrad TV and RIA FAN, which allege unlawful censorship after YouTube restricted their channels. Since then, 15 additional Kremlin-backed channels have joined the suits, citing U.S. sanctions and policy violations as reasons for the blocks.

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The cumulative fine, now larger than the combined GDP of every nation by a trillionfold, underscores Russia’s symbolic pushback against Silicon Valley’s content restrictions.

In response to mounting fines, Google declared bankruptcy in Russia in 2022 after authorities seized over $100 million from its Russian subsidiary.

Legal analysts say that while Google is unlikely to pay the fine, which now stands at 2 undecillion rubles (equivalent to $20 decillion), the case illustrates growing geopolitical strains as governments worldwide confront Big Tech’s influence.

Google entered into an $85 million settlement with Arizona over claims it deceptively collected users location information.

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has countersued in various countries, including Turkey, South Africa, Serbia, and Kyrgyzstan, aiming to shield its assets from further claims.

Legal experts say that while the unprecedented fine carries mostly symbolic weight, it reflects the intensifying battle between technology firms and state control in content regulation.

YouTube’s blocks began with sanctions on Konstantin Malofeyev, a Russian oligarch linked to Tsargrad TV, after he was accused by the U.S. of aiding Russia’s military interventions in Ukraine.

RIA FAN, founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin of Wagner Group fame, was also targeted by YouTube for policy violations after Prigozhin’s 2023 mutiny against the Kremlin. Since then, hundreds of Russia-associated channels have been removed from YouTube for either sanction compliance or content deemed to minimize violence.

Russia has a new drone-resistant tank, but it might be vulnerable to heavy artillery – as long as the Ukrainians don’t run out of munitions. — Getty Images

As the fine continues to double each week, the amount could reach 1 googol — a 1 followed by 100 zeros — within 219 weeks if left unpaid, though Google’s current market capitalization is $2 trillion, far from the fine’s demands.

Legal analysts suggest Russia’s court decision is largely symbolic but highlights how Google, and tech companies at large, are being forced to confront national laws and international sanctions that affect their operations.

The case remains a potent symbol of the political clashes shaping today’s digital media landscape. Google has yet to comment on the current status of the fine but continues to challenge claims on its assets beyond Russian borders.

Tags: Alphabet, Google, Google Ad Manager, Google Cloud, Google Play, Google search, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, YouTube

IT’S A PENALTY THAT’S LITERALLY OUT OF THIS WORLD.

MUCH HIGHER, DR. EVIL. A RUSSIAN COURT HANDED DOWN A MONUMENTAL FINE AGAINST GOOGLE, DEMANDING A TOTAL OF 20 DECILLION DOLLARS IN COMPENSATION… THAT’S A 2 FOLLOWED BY 34 ZEROS. THE FINE STEMS FROM YOUTUBE’S DECISION TO BLOCK HUNDREDS OF RUSSIAN CHANNELS DUE TO U-S SANCTIONS.

THE CASE DATES BACK TO 2020 WHEN RUSSIAN NATIONALIST CHANNELS LIKE TSARGRAD TV AND RIA FAN FIRST SUED GOOGLE AFTER YOUTUBE BLOCKED THEIR CONTENT.

OVER THE YEARS, MORE RUSSIAN CHANNELS JOINED THE LAWSUITS, EXPANDING THE FINE, WHICH THE COURT HAS ORDERED TO DOUBLE EACH WEEK THAT GOOGLE REFUSES TO PAY. WITH 15 RUSSIAN OUTLETS NOW INVOLVED, THE STAKES HAVE REACHED SURREAL LEVELS.

TO PUT THIS NUMBER IN PERSPECTIVE, $20 DECILLION IS A NUMBER SO LARGE IT ECLIPSES THE GDP OF EVERY COUNTRY ON EARTH… BY A TRILLION TIMES.

THE TOTAL GLOBAL GDP IS JUST OVER 110 TRILLION, ACCORDING TO THE IMF.

IN SIMPLER TERMS, IF YOU SPENT ONE MILLION DOLLARS EVERY SECOND, IT WOULD STILL TAKE MORE THAN 630 BILLION YEARS TO REACH 20 DECILLION… MANY TIMES LONGER THAN THE ESTIMATED AGE OF THE UNIVERSE.

GOOGLE’S PARENT COMPANY, ALPHABET, IS VALUED AT ABOUT $2 TRILLION… NOWHERE NEAR ENOUGH TO SATISFY RUSSIA’S PREPOSTEROUS DEMAND. GOOGLE HAS, HOWEVER, RESPONDED TO THESE PRESSURES BY FILING COUNTERCLAIMS TO PROTECT ITS ASSETS IN COUNTRIES BEYOND RUSSIA, INCLUDING TURKEY, SOUTH AFRICA AND SERBIA.

IN 2022, GOOGLE DECLARED BANKRUPTCY IN RUSSIA AFTER THE COURTS SEIZED OVER 100-MILLION FROM ITS LOCAL ACCOUNTS.

LOOK, THE LATEST FINE IS CLEARLY POPPYCOCK, BUT IT MARKS ANOTHER ESCALATION IN THE CONFLICT BETWEEN TECH GIANTS AND RUSSIA. FOR NOW… IT APPEARS GOOGLE’S DEBT TO RUSSIA IS SET TO KEEP GROWING, SURE, ADD SOME MORE ZEROS. BUT GOOGLE SAYS THEY DON’T THINK THESE ONGOING LEGAL MATTERS WILL HAVE ANY MATERIAL ADVERSE EFFECT.

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