Russia has imposed an unprecedented fine of approximately 2 undecillion rubles (equivalent to $2.5 decillion) on Google, according to sources cited by the RBC news website.
This astronomical penalty stems from Google’s continued refusal to restore the accounts of pro-Kremlin and state-controlled media outlets, despite legal rulings mandating their reinstatement. The fines began in 2020 after pro-government media outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN successfully sued Google for blocking their YouTube channels.
Since then, Google has accrued daily penalties of 100,000 rubles, doubling each week and culminating in the current staggering total of around 2 undecillion rubles—an amount unlikely to be paid by Google, whose parent company Alphabet reported revenues exceeding $307 billion in 2023.
17 Russian television channels have also filed legal claims against Google, including state-backed Channel One, the military-affiliated Zvezda broadcaster, and RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan’s media outlets.
YouTube, owned by Google, blocked numerous Russian media accounts following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prompting Russian authorities to impose fines rather than restrict access to the platform entirely.
In response to the ongoing sanctions, Google’s Russian subsidiary declared bankruptcy last fall, following an initial bankruptcy filing in 2022. Alphabet Inc. halted its Russian advertising operations to align with Western sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.
