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Russia fines Google ,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 | The Independent
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Russia fines Google $2,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 | The Independent

A Russian court has fined Google $2.5 billion for allegedly blocking pro-Kremlin propaganda on YouTube.

The fine, equivalent to $2.5 trillion, is the result of a fine accumulated over four years, with the number currently doubling every week under Russian law.

The original fine of 100,000 rubles was imposed on the US tech giant in 2020 after media channels Tsargrad and RIA FAN won lawsuits related to restrictions on their YouTube channels.

State news site RBC, which first reported the hefty fine on Tuesday, said Google also banned other media companies in 2022 for supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading to further fines.

Google, which reported $306 billion in revenue last year, last month restricted the creation of new accounts for Russian users and disabled AdSense accounts in the country in August.

As part of broader sanctions against Russia, Google users in Russia will also no longer see online ads since March 2022.

The restrictions prompted Russian authorities to seize Google’s bank accounts, forcing the U.S. company’s Russian subsidiary to file for bankruptcy. Google’s free services, including YouTube and search, continue to operate in Russia.

Google acknowledged ongoing legal issues in Russia in its latest quarterly results released on Tuesday evening.

“We have ongoing legal matters related to Russia,” the company noted in the report. “For example, in connection with disputes over the termination of accounts, including those of sanctioned parties, we have been subject to civil judgments that carry penalties.

“We do not believe these ongoing legal matters will have a material adverse impact.”

The fine appeared to have no impact on Google parent Alphabet, whose shares rose more than 5 percent in after-hours trading on Tuesday after beating its third-quarter profit expectations.

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