Russia Imposes Unimaginable Fine on Google Totaling $20 Decillion

Russia has levied a staggering fine against Google, totaling an unprecedented 2 undecillion rubles (a 2 followed by 36 zeros), as tensions mount over the tech giant’s decision to block pro-Russian YouTube channels.

The colossal penalty, amounting to about $20 decillion — or $20 billion trillion trillion — vastly eclipses the world’s total economic output. By comparison, the global GDP stands at roughly $110 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund, while Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has a market valuation of around $2 trillion.

Russian state media TASS reported that a Russian court had previously ordered Google to reinstate certain YouTube channels, some of which have been restricted since 2022. Penalties have been increasing each week Google fails to comply, with the fines doubling every seven days.

When asked about the case, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the enormity of the fine, stating that it was so large he “can’t even pronounce this figure” but described the amount as “symbolic.” Peskov added that Google should not be limiting access to Russian broadcasters on its platform.

Google’s recent quarterly report references “ongoing legal matters” tied to its operations in Russia, noting that “civil judgments including compounding penalties” have been issued, particularly related to disputes over account terminations, some of which involve sanctioned entities. However, Google noted it does not foresee these cases having a significant impact on its financial results.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Google scaled back its business activities in the country but did not fully exit, unlike several other U.S.-based tech firms. Key services like Search and YouTube remain accessible in Russia. In the months following the invasion, Google’s Russian subsidiary filed for bankruptcy and halted most of its commercial operations after the government seized its bank accounts.