Some of us have gotten a fine at some point. Maybe a speeding ticket, a parking slip, or that one overdue library book. But it’s never been big enough to fund the world. Google, however, has racked up a fine in Russia so massive. They are to pay over two undecillion rubles, which is worth more than the entire global economy.
The fine keeps climbing because Google failed to restore state-run media channels Sputnik and RT (formerly Russia Today) on YouTube. Things aren’t looking good for the tech giant as they have nine months to settle the fine. If they don’t, it’ll start doubling every day.
Google’s censorship efforts lead to a massive penalty
In March 2022, Google blocked access to over 1,000 YouTube channels and more than 5.5 million videos that were related to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Among them were RT and Sputnik, state-funded media outlets in Russia that provide news and information.
Google also stopped advertisement services and monetization for Russian users. Technically, their actions aligned with their policy of not supporting anything that promotes or condones violence. But they also meant limiting content diversity and voices wanting to be heard.
Regardless of their intentions being good or not, the Russian government fined Google’s parent company, Alphabet, 21.1 billion rubles (approximately $215.5 million). They demanded that the company restore the channels, which attracted a daily increase of $100,000 rubles (≈ $1,021) when Google didn’t comply. That fine has now racked up to over two undecillion rubles. For your imagination, that’s the number two followed by 36 zeros (in the USA).
Let’s do some fun math (well, not for Google)
As of 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated the global gross domestic product (GDP) at around $110 trillion. To really grasp the enormity of Google’s fine, we first convert it to numerical value. Now, I usually suck at math, but that should be 2 x 10^36. The GDP is 110 x 10^12.
If we convert the GDP into rubles, assuming the current exchange rate of 1 USD = 97 RUB, the GDP becomes approximately 10.67 quadrillion rubles. When you divide the fine by the GDP in rubles, it’s approximately 1.875 x 10^20, which means the fine is about 187 quintillion times larger than the global GDP.
In April 2024, Google became a two trillion company. While their market cap is impressive, it’s not enough to bail them out of the situation. The debt is still growing, and will start doubling every day if they don’t pay. The Russian authorities don’t care whether they have the money or not. They’re holding firm, insisting Google restores the blocked channels if they ever want to re-enter the market. But it’s impossible to pay that kind of money.
What’s next for Google?
The Kremlin is the main office and home of the President of Russia in Moscow. It also represents the Russian government. Recently, they said that the fine against Google is symbolic, and more about making a statement rather than being a serious financial demand. The spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that it’s so large that it’s hard to even say it out loud.
Google is in a tough situation, but negotiating with Russian authorities to lower the fine or find a way to restore the blocked channels without breaking their policies is possible. They could also challenge the fine in court. Either way, they will face backlash. in a tough spot, but a negotiation is not out of the question.
They could try to reach an agreement with Russian authorities to lower the fine or set up a plan to restore the blocked channels without compromising their policies. They could also do worse — challenge its outrageousness in court. Either way, they’re not coming out without facing backlash.
