Russia has demanded Google pay a fine worth more than the world’s GDP for blocking pro-Kremlin media outlets.
Judges in Moscow are seeking around $20 decillion from the technology giant, many times the estimated $100-trillion size of the global economy. If written out in full, the fine would be 20 followed by 33 zeros.
The penalty, which far eclipses Google’s own $2-trillion market value, comes after the US technology business barred pro-Moscow propaganda channel Tsargrad TV, which is owned by oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, from YouTube four years ago.
Google was fined a daily penalty of 100,000 roubles and warned that amount would double every 24 hours if it went unpaid. The technology giant now owes more than 2 undecillion roubles, a 36-digit figure, lawyer Ivan Morozov told the state-owned TASS news agency.
The original fine has been compounded by further penalties after Google blocked a total of 17 Russian TV channels as a result of international sanctions. According to local news outlet RBC, the judge described the legal battle as “a case in which there are many, many zeros”.
The technology giant shut down its local Russian division in 2022 following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with its subsidiary declaring bankruptcy. However, many of its services including its search engine and YouTube have remained accessible to Russians.
The Telegraph revealed in August that bailiffs acting for Moscow had seized more than $100 million from the bankrupt entity to fund Putin’s war machine.
In court documents Google said Russia had handed the assets to sanctioned TV channels including Tsargrad, whose owner Mr Malofeev has been described as the “Orthodox oligarch”, and state-owned RT.
In the filings, Google said: “The bailiffs seized more than $100 million of Google Russia’s assets, even though the amount purportedly due under the judgement at the time was less than $12.5m (1 billion roubles).
“Tsargrad received 1 billion roubles from the seizure, which it said it would use to support Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
The technology giant is also fighting efforts by Russian broadcasters to enforce the fines in foreign jurisdictions, including South Africa, Turkey and Serbia.
On Tuesday, Google reported a 15pc increase in its revenues to $88.3 billion for the three months ending in September, sending its shares up 5pc in after-hours trading in New York.
Despite the astronomical sums being demanded of Google by Russia, the company said in its last earnings statement: “We do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse effect.”
