A Russian court has imposed a massive fine on Google, totaling 2 undecillion rubles (EUR2.3 decillion), for its refusal to reinstate accounts of pro-Kremlin and state-run media outlets on YouTube. This staggering penalty comes after years of legal battles between Google and Russian authorities over the company's decision to block accounts belonging to several prominent state-controlled broadcasters.
The affected TV channels include Zvezda, Channel One, VGTRK (including Rossiya 1 and Rossiya 24), Parliament TV, Moscow Media, TV-Centre, NTV, GPM Entertainment Television, Public Television of Russia, TV Channel 360, TRK Petersburg, Orthodox Television Foundation, National Sports TV Channel, Technological Company Centre, as well as IE Simonyan M.S., representing the YouTube channel of TV presenter Margarita Simonyan.
According to reports, Google began accumulating daily penalties of 100,000 rubles in 2020, following lawsuits by pro-government outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN. The daily penalties were doubled each week, resulting in the massive fine we see today.
Despite the astronomical sum, Google is unlikely to pay the fine. Google's parent company, Alphabet, acknowledged the legal battles with Russia in its Q2 2024 report, stating that "Google has ongoing legal issues related to Russia. For example, some of the disputes relate to the closure of accounts, including those of sanctioned individuals. The company has also been subject to progressive fines in connection with disputes over account blocking, including accounts of sub-sanctioned individuals. We do not believe these legal cases will have a material adverse effect on Google’s business."