Russia says massive fines against Google ‘symbolic’

The Kremlin said Thursday that Russia’s huge fines imposed on Google were largely symbolic and designed to spur the internet giant into lifting restrictions on Russian YouTube channels.

The total sum of legal claims against Google in Russia has reached two undecillion rubles, according to the Russian news outlet RBK, a figure higher than all the money in the world combined.

“I can’t even pronounce this number, but it is more likely imbued with symbolism,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies
“Google should not restrict the actions of our broadcasters, but it does. This should be a reason for Google’s management to pay attention to this and correct the situation,” he added.

Since launching its Ukraine offensive in February 2022, Russia has levied huge fines on social media companies accused of hosting Kremlin-critical or pro-Ukraine content.

YouTube is still available in Russia but authorities have repeatedly threatened to take it offline over its bans on state-owned Russian content.

Russian courts have repeatedly fined YouTube’s owner Google in a bid to force the tech giant into compliance, with the legal costs multiplying each day it fails to carry out Moscow’s demands.