A Russian court docket fined Google one billion rubles (2 adopted by 36 zeros) for proscribing Russian state media channels on YouTube.
In U.S. {dollars}, which means the tech large was instructed to pay $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Regardless of being one of many richest firms on this planet, that is excess of Google’s $2 trillion value.
In reality, it’s a lot bigger than the full world GDP estimated by the Worldwide Financial Fund at $110 trillion.
The tremendous is so massive as a result of— state news agency TASS said – In case of non-payment, it will likely be doubled day-after-day.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted he “cannot even pronounce the quantity,” however urged “Google administration to take word,” Tass information company reported.
The corporate has not commented publicly and didn’t reply to the BBC’s request for a press release.
Russian media RBC reported The tremendous in opposition to Google pertains to content material restrictions on 17 Russian media channels on YouTube.
Whereas this example had begun in 2020, it escalated two years later with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This precipitated most Western firms to withdraw from Russia, Doing business there is also severely restricted by sanctions.
Russian media retailers additionally banned in Europe – prompting Moscow to take retaliatory measures.
The event is the newest escalation between Russia and U.S. tech giants.
In Could 2021, Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor accuses Google of restricting Russian media access to YouTubetogether with RT and Sputnik, and assist “unlawful protests”.
Then, in July 2022, Russia fines Google 21.1 billion rubles (£301m) failed to limit entry to so-called “prohibited” materials and different content material regarding the warfare in Ukraine.
There may be virtually no press freedom in Russia, there are impartial information media and freedom of speech severely restricted.
