Google now faces an astronomical fine of around 2 undecillion rubles ($2.5 decillion) in Russia for refusing to reinstate accounts of pro-Kremlin and state-run media outlets, according to a report by RBC. The penalties began accruing in 2020 when Russian media outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN won lawsuits after their YouTube channels were blocked. Initially, Google was fined 100,000 rubles daily, with fines doubling each week, leading to the current figure—an amount practically impossible to collect.
Since YouTube, owned by Google, restricted various Russian state-controlled media channels due to their support for the invasion of Ukraine, 17 Russian TV channels have pursued legal action against Google. These include Channel One, the military-linked Zvezda broadcaster, and a representative for RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan. Although Russia imposed heavy fines on Google, it stopped short of blocking the platform itself.
The strained relationship culminated last year when Google’s Russian subsidiary declared bankruptcy, following Google’s decision to halt advertising in Russia in compliance with Western sanctions against the war in Ukraine. While Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported over $307 billion in revenue in 2023, the fines imposed in Russia remain unenforceable and unlikely to be paid.
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