In an extraordinary legal move, Russia has fined Google a mind-boggling $20 decillion (a 2 followed by 34 zeroes) in response to YouTube’s ban on Russian state-affiliated media amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. This fine is unmatched globally, vastly surpassing any known financial metric, and reflects Russia’s discontent over what it perceives as censorship by the tech giant.
The conflict escalated in March 2022 when YouTube extended a global ban on Russian state-backed channels like RT and Sputnik, citing policy violations around content that “denies, minimizes, or trivializes violent events.” YouTube’s action led to the removal of over 1,000 channels and 15,000 videos aligned with Russian narratives on the Ukraine war, sparking Russia’s ire. Moscow contends this violates its broadcasting laws, prompting the court to demand reinstatement of the banned channels and impose a daily doubling of the fine if YouTube fails to comply within nine months.
The staggering figure is largely symbolic, as Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, intended to spotlight Russia’s grievances with the platform’s restrictions. Google has curtailed its operations in Russia since 2022, though essential services like YouTube and Google Search remain available. Russian officials have hinted at the possibility of an outright ban on YouTube if it continues to restrict state-backed channels.
