A Russian court has fined US tech giant Google $2.5 decillion, the equivalent of $2.5 trillion trillion trillion, for allegedly blocking pro-Kremlin propaganda on YouTube.
The fine is the result of four years of accumulated fines, with the figure currently doubling every week under Russian law. The original penalty of 100,000 rubles was handed to Google in 2020 after the media outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN won lawsuits related to restrictions on their YouTube channels.
State-run news site RBC reported that Google also banned other media outlets in 2022 due to their support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, resulting in further fines. Google, which reported revenue of $306 billion last year, restricted the creation of new accounts for Russian users last month and deactivated AdSense accounts in the country in August.
The restrictions prompted Russian authorities to seize Google’s bank accounts, forcing the US firm’s Russian subsidiary to file for bankruptcy. Google’s free services, including YouTube and Search, have continued to operate in Russia.
In its latest quarterly results, Google acknowledged its ongoing legal issues in Russia. “We have ongoing legal matters relating to Russia,” the company noted, adding that it does not believe these matters “will have a material adverse effect.”
The massive $2.5 decillion fine appeared to have no significant impact on Google’s parent company Alphabet, whose shares rose more than 5% in after-market trading on Tuesday after beating its third-quarter earnings expectations.
