Russia fines Google $2.5 decillion — and is doubling it every day
(NewsNation) — A Russian court fined Google $2.5 decillion for suspending state media YouTube accounts, according to multiple news reports.
Numerically, a decillion is a one followed by 33 zeros. It’s also a value greater than all the money that currently exists in the world (about $80 trillion or $662 in global assets, according to World Population Review estimates).
Russian lawyer Ivan Morozov told state-run media outlet TASS that a Russian court order required Google to restore the accounts on YouTube. Fines will continue to double with no limit each day the accounts remain suspended, he said.
“Due to the fact that the court decision approving this method of calculating the fine has entered into legal force, the court cannot cancel it and is forced to double the fine, since Google does not execute the decision,” Morozov said.
YouTube’s parent company stopped serving ads to Russia shortly after Russian troops invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Google also announced in August that it was deactivating AdSense accounts in Russia. The company has blocked more than 1,000 YouTube channels, including state-sponsored news, and more than 5.5 million videos, Reuters reported in September.