Russia Demands Astronomical 2,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 Rubles from Google for Blocking Pro-Russian Channels

Russia is pursuing an astronomical financial penalty against Google, claiming that the tech giant owes more than 2 undecillion rubles—an amount that translates to a staggering $20 decillion, or $20 billion trillion trillion. This unprecedented figure far exceeds the global economy’s scale, which, according to the International Monetary Fund, has a gross domestic product of approximately $110 trillion. For context, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has a market valuation around $2 trillion.

The demand for this vast sum stems from Google’s refusal to pay fines for blocking pro-Russian channels on its YouTube platform. According to reports from Russian state media TASS, a court in Russia mandated that Google must reinstate these blocked channels, which have been unavailable since 2022. If Google fails to comply, the fines will double every week, adding to the already astronomical sum.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on the situation, admitting the enormity of the penalty is almost incomprehensible, stating that it carries significant symbolic weight. He emphasized that Google should not restrict Russian broadcasters’ activities on its platform.

In a recent earnings report, Google acknowledged ongoing legal challenges in Russia, noting that civil judgments with compounding penalties have been imposed due to disputes related to account terminations, including those involving sanctioned individuals. Despite these legal troubles, Google expressed confidence that these issues would not substantially impact its overall earnings.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Google reduced its operations in the country but did not fully withdraw, unlike many other American tech firms. Notably, while Google’s subsidiary in Russia has filed for bankruptcy and halted most commercial activities due to government actions, essential services such as Search and YouTube remain accessible to users in the country.