Russia has fined Google an amount larger than the entire world’s gross domestic product over restricting Russian propaganda channels on YouTube.
Russian business newspaper RBC reported this week that legal claims brought by 17 Russian TV channels against Google in Russian courts, which have imposed compound fines on Google, had reached $20 decillion — an incomprehensible sum with 34 zeros.
By comparison, the International Monetary Fund estimates the world’s total gross domestic product to be $110 trillion. Google’s parent company Alphabet, meanwhile, has a market value of around $2 trillion.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov admitted to reporters that he “can’t even pronounce this figure right.” But he said the fine was “filled with symbolism.”
“Google should not restrict the activities of our broadcasters, and Google is doing this,” he said.
The Russian state-run outlet Tass reported this week that a Russian court had previously ordered Google to restore the blocked YouTube channels or face rising charges. The fine has grown so high because it doubles every week.
Earlier this year, Russia experienced a mass YouTube outage in August. The platform is considered one of the few remaining sites where audiences can access independent information in Russia, where Moscow blocks independent news sites and press freedom has all but disappeared.
Google did not immediately reply to VOA’s email requesting comment.
Some information in this report came from Reuters.
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