According to several news outlets, Google was fined an enormous $2.5 billion by a Russian court for suspending Russian official media accounts on YouTube. The World Population Review estimates that the entire quantity of money in existence today is approximately $80 trillion, or $662 trillion in global assets. To put this astounding number into perspective, a decillion is a one followed by 33 zeros.
The hefty fine comes after a Russian court ordered Google to restore the state media accounts that were blocked on YouTube. Speaking to the state-run media organization TASS, Russian attorney Ivan Morozov explained that until Google complies with the decision, the penalty will keep doubling every day with no cap. Morozov clarified that the fine will automatically double every day the accounts are stopped because the court’s decision regarding the fine structure is now legally binding and cannot be revoked or changed.
This fine is indicative of the continued hostilities between Russia and Google, particularly after the internet behemoth decided to reduce its services in Russia. Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, YouTube’s parent company, Google, first suspended its ad services in Russia. Google further cemented its position in August when it declared that it would deactivate AdSense accounts in Russia, so limiting Russian producers’ choices for revenue. According to a September Reuters article, Google has also deleted more than 5.5 million videos in accordance with its content restrictions and disabled more than 1,000 YouTube channels, many of which are associated with Russian official media.
As they limit access to Russian state-sponsored content and stop monetization choices, the Russian judiciary’s action underscores the mounting financial and regulatory constraints Western tech businesses confront in the nation. The continuous increase in fines highlights the significant risks and legal difficulties of doing business in a highly divided digital environment on a global scale.
