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 which means the tech big 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 larger than the world’s complete GDP, which is estimated by the Worldwide Financial Fund to be $110 trillion.
The high-quality has reached such a gargantuan stage as a result of – state information company Tass says – it doubles on daily basis it isn’t paid.
In keeping 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 a press release.
Russia media outlet RBC stories the high-quality 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 enterprise there additionally tightly restricted by sanctions.
Russian media shops have been additionally banned in Europe – prompting retaliatory measures from Moscow.
This improvement is the most recent escalation between Russia and the US tech big.
In Might, 2021, Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor accused Google of proscribing YouTube entry to Russian media shops, 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 known as “prohibited” materials in regards to the battle in Ukraine and different content material.
There may be nearly no press freedom in Russia, with unbiased information shops and freedom of expression severely curtailed.
