A Russian court has slapped Google with an astronomical $20.5 decillion fine — an amount vastly exceeding the entire world’s GDP — after the tech giant allegedly blocked pro-Russia propaganda channels on YouTube.
Alongside this record-breaking figure, Google faces an additional $1 million daily penalty until the banned channels are reinstated.
The penalty, a staggering 20 followed by 33 zeros, is vastly disproportionate, considering Google’s own value of $2 trillion. Many have likened this unprecedented figure to the outlandish ransom demands made by Dr. Evil in the “Austin Powers” movies.
Russia’s RBC state news agency first reported the fine, which stemmed from an initial $1 million penalty issued four years ago when Google restricted access to the pro-Kremlin YouTube channels Tsargrad and RIA FAN.
At the time, Russian courts had warned that the fine would double each day until Google restored access to the channels.
Google, however, shut down its Russian operations in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, with its local subsidiary filing for bankruptcy. Earlier this year, the company closed its Google AdSense in Russia, halting monetization for local content creators.
Despite its exit, Google and its YouTube services remain available to Russian users.