Russian Court Imposes Unpayable $20 Decillion Fine On Google, Surpassing Global Wealth Over Censorship And Content Control
In an extraordinary ruling, a Russian court has reportedly fined Google an astronomical $20 decillion—an amount surpassing the entire global economy by an unfathomable stretch.
The tech giant’s troubles stem from ongoing claims by 17 Russian TV channels whose accounts were banned on Google-owned YouTube due to international sanctions.
The suit involves several pro-Kremlin channels, including major players Russia 1 and the network of Putin ally Margarita Simonyan, who hosts on Russia Today. According to Moscow-based news outlet RBC, a judge humorously described the case as “One With Many, Many Zeros.” Share Tweet Billions to Trillions to Decillions
Shipment The staggering fine, which has reportedly doubled weekly since 2020, now totals more than 36 digits in length, according to the TASS news agency.
To put the scale into perspective, the World Bank values the global economy at just over $100 trillion, a figure that falls at least 20 zeros short of this unprecedented penalty.
Google’s latest financial report, showing $88.2 billion in third-quarter revenue, is a fraction of the demanded sum. Even the tech giant’s $2 trillion market cap pales beside the steep price Russian courts are aiming to extract.
Sanctions In response to the war in Ukraine, Google wound down its Russian operations in 2022, with its Russian subsidiary, Google LLC, declaring bankruptcy.
Nevertheless, core services like Google Search and YouTube remain accessible to Russian users. While Russia has banned Western platforms like Twitter and Facebook, it has yet to block Google’s services.
“illegal” content removal failures and its restriction of some pro-Russia media on YouTube. Pro-Kremlin outlets like Tsargrad TV, owned by oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, were removed by YouTube several years ago, spurring additional friction.
A Defiant Google Stands Firm Despite mounting legal battles, Google remains resolute. “We Do Not Believe These Ongoing Legal Matters Will Have A Material Adverse Effect,”
