New Delhi:

Russia fined Google estimated at an astronomical $20 trillion – a 2 followed by 34 zeros. The unprecedented punishment targets YouTube, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, over the platform's decision to block Russian state media channels in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This sum far exceeds any reasonable financial magnitude and exceeds the entire global economy many times over.

The penalty came after a Russian court ruled that Google violated national broadcasting regulations by blocking channels from state-backed Russian media companies on YouTube. In addition to the fine, there is an additional decision requiring the restoration of these channels, with the fines doubling every day if the platform does not comply with this obligation within a period of nine months.

The issue dates back to March 2022, when YouTube announced a global ban on several Russian state-owned channels, including RT and Sputnik. The platform justified its decision by citing content guidelines that prohibit content that denies, trivializes or trivializes violent events. YouTube has enforced such policies against channels that support Russia's narrative surrounding the Ukraine conflict, removing over 1,000 channels and more than 15,000 videos worldwide. Restrictions on Russian state media accounts were imposed in Europe before the ban was expanded worldwide. This action sparked a backlash from Russia, which sees the move as censorship and suppression of its state-sponsored media.

Since 2020, Google has faced ongoing penalties, starting with a daily fine of 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,028) for blocking Russian channels from Tsargrad and RIA FAN, two prominent Russian state-affiliated media outlets.

According to reports, 17 Russian broadcasters have joined the litigation, filing lawsuits against Google and demanding that their channels be reinstated on the platform.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022, Google significantly scaled back its operations in Russia but failed to achieve a complete exit. Services such as YouTube and Google Search remain accessible within Russian borders. Unlike some American technology companies that have withdrawn completely, Google's partial operations in Russia continue, although its Russian subsidiary filed for bankruptcy several months after the conflict began after the Russian government seized its bank accounts.

The Kremlin described the fine as a largely symbolic measure intended to force Google to reconsider its stance toward Russian broadcasters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that the huge size of the fine was intended to draw attention to the seriousness with which Russia views the issue of YouTube bans on Russian media. “I can’t even pronounce that number correctly,” Peskov said.

Since its invasion of Ukraine, Russia has imposed a series of penalties against foreign tech platforms that host content deemed anti-Russian or pro-Ukrainian. Although YouTube remains accessible in Russia, authorities have threatened to block the platform entirely if it continues to restrict Russian media channels.