A Russian courtroom has fined Google two undecillion roubles – a two adopted by 36 zeroes – for proscribing Russian state media channels on YouTube.
In greenback phrases meaning the tech large has been informed to pay $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Regardless of being one of many world’s wealthiest firms, that’s significantly greater than the $2 trillion Google is value.
In actual fact, it’s far better than the world’s complete GDP, which is estimated by the Worldwide Financial Fund to be $110 trillion.
The fantastic has reached such a gargantuan degree as a result of – as state news agency Tass has highlighted – it’s quickly rising on a regular basis.
In line with Tass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted he “can’t even pronounce this quantity” however urged “Google administration to concentrate.”
The corporate has not commented publicly or responded to a BBC request for an announcement.
Russia media outlet RBC reports the fantastic on Google pertains to the restriction of content material of 17 Russian media channels on YouTube.
Whereas this began in 2020, it escalated after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years later.
That noticed most Western firms pull out of Russia, with doing business there also tightly restricted by sanctions.
Russian media shops had been additionally banned in Europe – prompting retaliatory measures from Moscow.
In 2022, Google’s native subsidiary was declared bankrupt and the corporate has stopped providing its business companies in Russia, equivalent to promoting.
Nonetheless, its merchandise usually are not fully banned within the nation.
This growth is the most recent escalation between Russia and the US tech large.
In Might, 2021, Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor accused Google of restricting YouTube access to Russian media outlets, together with RT and Sputnik, and supporting “unlawful protest exercise”.
Then, in July, 2022, Russia fined Google 21.1bn rouble (£301m) for failing to limit entry to what it referred to as “prohibited” materials concerning the warfare in Ukraine and different content material.
There’s just about no press freedom in Russia, with impartial information shops and freedom of expression severely curtailed.
