In an unprecedented move, a Russian court has levied a jaw-dropping $20 decillion (that’s 2.5 trillion trillion trillion dollars) fine against Google for allegedly censoring Russian state media on its platform YouTube. The fine has snowballed to astronomical levels over the past four years, as Google continued to restrict content from Russian media sources deemed propagandistic by international standards. According to Euronews, the penalty now sits at a sum exceeding the gross domestic product (GDP) of every nation on Earth combined many times over, reaching a 33-digit figure—essentially an amount that’s impossible to fathom, let alone pay.
Leaked response of the Russian dude that said Russia is suing Google for literally $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 pic.twitter.com/afyDCQlMdZ
— Majestic Memes (@Majestic_Memes_) October 30, 2024
This colossal fine was issued after Google allegedly violated Russian law by blocking prominent state media channels on YouTube. When Google began curtailing Russian government-backed content, Russian authorities responded with daily fines that compounded quickly. The ongoing penalties, as explained by attorney Ivan Morozov through Russian news agency TASS, were calculated in “undecillion rubles,” a number so immense it falls into the realm of the theoretical. For perspective, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates the world’s total GDP to be around $110 trillion (a mere 12-digit figure), meaning the fine is over a billion times greater than the entire global economy.
Russia fines google $2,5 DECILION which is 217 quintillions times more that all the world’s money 😭😭 This is how hysterical russia is about loosing access to youtube. pic.twitter.com/KZnp5B145d
— Aнїa (@zajacpoziomka7) October 29, 2024
Russia is trying to fine Google $20 decillion over YouTube bans
• The fine surpasses the entire wealth and asset value on Earth
• Google so far has ignored their demands pic.twitter.com/aG5w55Q3aQ
— Culture Crave 🎃 (@CultureCrave) October 29, 2024
While the fine’s size has drawn international shock and amusement, Google isn’t likely to be concerned. The company shut down its Russian division in 2022 amid escalating geopolitical tensions and has since relocated its employees out of the country. Russians can still access Google’s services, including YouTube, but the tech giant has no intention of paying any of the imposed fines. With no physical assets in Russia to seize, the country’s judiciary lacks leverage over Google, leaving this mind-boggling figure largely symbolic.
The astronomical penalty has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with many questioning the practical implications—or lack thereof—of such a number. As Vice reported, the sheer size of the fine appears more absurd than actionable, with Gizmodo’s Todd Feathers noting that at this rate, it would take Google 219 weeks to owe a googol—a number 1 followed by 100 zeros.
As far as Moscow is concerned, the fine serves as a bold statement against U.S. tech firms, although it remains a symbolic gesture in practice. For now, Google can comfortably ignore the fine, viewing it more as a geopolitical display than a serious financial demand.
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