Russian Court Levies Massive Fines Against Google, Penalty Increases Daily Until Compliance

Russian Court Levies Massive Fines Against Google, Penalty Increases Daily Until Compliance

A Russian court has imposed a staggering daily fine on Google, with penalties accumulating until the tech giant complies with the ruling. The court’s decision, as outlined by lawyer Ivan Morozov to the TASS news agency, stems from Google’s deletion of Russian state television accounts on YouTube. Russia’s legal system is holding Google accountable under Article 13.41 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, requiring the company to restore access to these channels.

If Google fails to comply within nine months from the date of enforcement, a daily fine of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,025) will be applied.

According to the Russian court’s ruling, Google reportedly owes the Russian government an astronomical amount — $20 undecillion, a sum that dwarfs global GDP, which is estimated by the World Bank at around $100 trillion. This penalty is accumulating exponentially, presenting an amount beyond the total currency in circulation on Earth.

While Google has demonstrated significant financial growth, reporting $88.3 billion in third-quarter revenue for 2024 (a 15% increase from 2023), meeting the Russian penalty amount remains implausible.

The legal dispute traces back to a case from 2020, when YouTube banned Tsargrad TV, a Russian state-affiliated channel, in response to U.S. sanctions on its owner. Since then, Google’s platform has restricted several Russian broadcast channels, including 17 state-supported propaganda entities, such as Zvezda (controlled by the Russian Ministry of Defense), Russia-1, VGTRK, and NTV.

In August 2024, the Moscow Arbitration Court ruled that Google’s termination of contracts with Russian television channels constituted breach of contract and illegal conduct.

Some observers may wonder if Alphabet, Google’s parent company, could face bankruptcy in light of this ruling. However, Google already limited its operations in Russia following the country’s 2022 military actions in Ukraine, with local assets effectively seized by Russian authorities.

Google has yet to comment on the fines imposed by the Russian court.