As reported by Russian news agency Tass, Google must pay the Russian government an unrealistically astronomical sum and restore access to previously blocked content in order to return to the Russian market.
The extraordinary penalty stems from a legal battle that began in 2020 when YouTube banned the ultra-nationalist channel Tsargrad following US sanctions against its owner. The case expanded after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, when Google blocked additional Russian channels, including Zvezda, a channel owned by Russia’s Ministry of Defense.
The court imposed an initial fine of 100,000 rubles (US$1,025) per day, with the amount doubling weekly. Due to compound interest, the total has reached a mathematically absurd figure featuring “many, many zeros,” as described by the presiding judge.
The ruling requires Google to restore access to 17 banned channels, but the company’s ability to comply is complicated by its 2022 withdrawal from Russia. Following what Russia terms its “special military operation” in Ukraine, Google ceased operations in the country after Russian authorities seized its local bank accounts, leading to the effective bankruptcy of its Russian subsidiary.
Google appears unconcerned about the ruling. In its recent earnings statement, the company acknowledged ongoing legal matters in Russia but stated it does not believe these will have “a material adverse effect” on its operations.
If it were concerned, how long would it take Google to pay the fine, which exceeds the world’s total wealth many times over?
Well, the company recently reported quarterly revenue of US$84.74 billion. If that were a constant, and Google fully dedicates itself to paying the fine, it would take the tech giant 59 quintillion years to reach the figure.
To put that in perspective, the universe is only about 13.8 billion years old.
