Russia fines Google a number so big it needs its own unit

Google’s history with fines is nothing new — think of it as the cost of doing business when you’re a tech giant of its stature. Whether it’s hefty penalties from European regulators or intellectual property squabbles in France, Google has often found itself at odds with governments globally. However, Russia’s latest fine, the astronomical 2 undecillion rubles (yes, that’s a 2 followed by 36 zeros), may just set a record as the largest theoretical penalty in history.

The Russian court’s ruling stems from Google’s refusal to restore YouTube access to several Russian TV channels that were suspended, allegedly due to sanctions-related issues. Initially, the conflict was triggered in 2020 when Google’s YouTube restricted access to Tsargrad TV, a prominent Russian channel that’s been on the U.S. sanctions list since 2014. As more Russian state-affiliated media channels were blocked following Russia’s military action in Ukraine, tensions only grew, with Russian broadcasters — including heavyweights like Channel One, NTV, and Russia 24 — joining the case against Google.

Russian courts ordered Google to unblock these channels, or face mounting daily penalties. As of October, these penalties have spiraled to 2 undecillion rubles, which equates to an unheard of figure — $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

To put things in perspective, this colossal fine isn’t just astronomical — it’s impractical. Google’s Russian entity, which filed for bankruptcy in 2022, reported a total revenue of 24.17 billion rubles (about $249M today) in that year. Even if Google’s assets were liquidated, they’d barely make a dent in the total penalty sum. This raises the question: is Russia setting Google up with a “symbolic fine” to make a statement, or is there a real intention to collect on this mind-boggling figure?

Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) had previously fined Google 4 billion rubles (~$42M), which seems almost quaint in comparison. The FAS ruling claimed Google had abused its dominant market position by blocking these media channels and demanded restitution. Google had even partially compensated Tsargrad TV with 1 billion rubles (~$11M), but this gesture didn’t appease regulators for long.

Internationally, Russian media outlets have been tenacious in seeking enforcement of these fines. They’ve filed claims in courts from Turkey to South Africa, some even succeeding in getting local assets of Google seized. In August, Google countered by filing suits in the U.S. and U.K. courts, trying to block the Russian channels from initiating further international claims. But the case’s scope only widens, with high-profile hearings in the California District Court and the High Court of England and Wales.

Google’s fines elsewhere look diminutive in comparison. In 2017, the European Union fined the company €2.42 billion (a respectable amount but mere pocket change in this context). In March 2024, Google received another slap on the wrist with a €250 million penalty in France over intellectual property issues. Yet, Russia’s latest fine, sitting at an unfathomable number that rivals a cosmic order of magnitude, dwarfs them all.

Whether Google will face further real consequences from this sum remains to be seen. Its parent company, Alphabet, is confident the ongoing Russian cases won’t dent its bottom line significantly. Nonetheless, the 2 undecillion ruble fine is a record-breaker in the annals of corporate penalties, a reminder of the ongoing tug-of-war between tech behemoths and the nations that seek to rein them in.