Google has reportedly been fined over two undecillion rubles—an unfathomable figure represented as two followed by 36 zeros—after it removed state-run and pro-government accounts from YouTube. This staggering fine exceeds the world’s total GDP, estimated at approximately $110 trillion by the International Monetary Fund.
The fine’s astronomical amount poses a significant challenge for Google, which owns YouTube and has a market valuation of $2.16 trillion, making it unlikely to pay the fine in the near future. Moreover, the fine continues to increase because of non-payment; if not settled within nine months, it will begin to double every day, according to the state news agency Tass.
The hefty financial penalty has arisen due to Google’s failure to restore YouTube accounts linked to 17 Russian TV channels. Russia’s RBC News reported that during a court hearing on October 28, a judge remarked he was deliberating on a case involving “many, many zeros.”
Reports indicate that Google can return to the Russian market only if it complies with the court’s decision. The legal actions against the tech giant initially began in 2020 when accounts associated with the Tsargrad TV channel and RIA FAN were blocked due to U.S. sanctions. The situation escalated following the commencement of the Ukraine war when YouTube blocked additional accounts belonging to outlets such as Sputnik and RT, prompting intervention from Russian authorities.
Credit: Sky News
