Russia has imposed an astronomical fine of 20 undecillion rubles ($2.5 decillion) on Google for banning Russian state-controlled YouTube channels after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This massive penalty, equivalent to a “trillion trillion trillion” dollars, is represented as $2,500 followed by 33 zeros.
The Russian news agency TASS reported that Google incurred a 36-digit fine for violating the country’s administrative codes through these bans. If unpaid after nine months, the fine will double each day indefinitely, and Google will remain barred from Russia until the penalty is settled.
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Russian media outlet RBC initially highlighted the case, where a Russian judge reviewed the claims brought forward by 17 YouTube channels against Google, referring to the penalty as involving “many, many zeros.”
While Google has yet to respond, it noted in its Q2 2024 report the increasing legal pressures from Russia, including mounting penalties tied to account terminations of sanctioned entities. Google stated that it doesn’t expect these legal matters to significantly impact its overall financial health.
The dispute began with a private complaint in 2021 when YouTube blocked Tsargrad TV and RIA FAN due to U.S. sanctions, evolving into a state issue after Google restricted access to Russian news agencies RT and Sputnik following the Ukraine invasion.
Financially, it’s an impossible penalty—Google’s market value stands at $2.24 trillion, with a 2023 profit of $73.7 billion. At that rate, Google would need 33.8 quintillion years to pay off the fine, which would keep doubling daily if left unpaid.
The fine exceeds the global economy’s total value, estimated at $105 trillion. On social media, Nigel Gould-Davies from the International Institute for Strategic Studies called the fine “insane,” noting it is about 1.9 quadrillion times larger than the world’s GDP. Even if Google devoted all global economic output since the universe’s beginning, it would cover only 3% of this fine.
In October 2023, Google’s Russian subsidiary was declared bankrupt by a Moscow court, following Google’s initial bankruptcy filing in 2022 after authorities froze its local assets. Although Russia pressures Google over what it labels illegal content, it has yet to ban Google’s services within its borders.
Historically, tech companies facing fines have dealt with penalties as a portion of annual revenue, with the EU, for instance, capping fines at 10% of a company’s turnover for regulatory breaches.
