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A Russian courtroom has fined Google two undecillion roubles – a two adopted by 36 zeroes – for proscribing Russian state media channels on YouTube.
In greenback phrases which means the tech large has been advised to pay $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.
Despite being one of many world’s wealthiest corporations, that’s significantly more than the $2 trillion Google is price.
In reality, it’s far better than the world’s complete GDP, which is estimated by the International Monetary Fund to be $110 trillion.
The nice has reached such a gargantuan stage as a result of – state information company Tass says – it doubles on daily basis it isn’t paid.
According to Tass, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted he “cannot even pronounce this number” however urged “Google management to pay attention.”
The firm has not commented publicly or responded to a BBC request for a press release.
Russia media outlet RBC studies the nice on Google pertains to the restriction of content material of 17 Russian media channels on YouTube.
While this began in 2020, it escalated after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years later.
That noticed most Western corporations pull out of Russia, with doing enterprise there additionally tightly restricted by sanctions.
Russian media shops have been additionally banned in Europe – prompting retaliatory measures from Moscow.
This improvement is the most recent escalation between Russia and the US tech large.
In May, 2021, Russia’s media regulator Roskomnadzor accused Google of proscribing YouTube entry to Russian media shops, together with RT and Sputnik, and supporting “illegal protest activity”.
Then, in July, 2022, Russia fined Google 21.1bn rouble (£301m) for failing to limit entry to what it referred to as “prohibited” materials in regards to the struggle in Ukraine and different content material.
There is nearly no press freedom in Russia, with impartial information shops and freedom of expression severely curtailed.
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