Here's why Russia has fined Google $20 billion trillion trillion
Russia is giving Google nine months to pay up, or the tech company risks facing further fines.
Social media users are reacting to news that Russia has fined Google more money than there is in the world.
Officials in the country are demanding the tech giant fork out a whopping $20-decillion, or, to put it more into perspective, $20 billion trillion trillion.
That's $20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!
What did Google do to warrant such a hefty fine? According to several international reports, the company was fined for blocking pro-Russian channels on video-sharing platform YouTube.
The International Monetary Fund puts the world's total gross domestic product at $110-trillion, which means the fine far surpasses the world's wealth. The heavy fine given to Google is considered a 'symbolic' amount.
“I can’t even pronounce this number, but it is more likely imbued with symbolism. 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,” The Guardian quoted a Kremlin spokesperson.
According to CNN, Russian news agency TASS reported last week that a court had previously ordered Google to unblock several YouTube channels, some of which have been terminated since 2022.
Another report states that Google has been given nine months to reinstate the channels or face more charges. The company's fine could also increase.
Social media users had a lot to say about the eye-watering fine. "That’s an astonishing amount! It highlights the ongoing tensions between governments and tech companies," one X user wrote.
"67 more zeros, and they would be fining @Google 2.5 googol (10^100)," another X user commented.
A third person said: "Did someone’s cat walk on the keyboard [and sit] on the 0 key?"
Russia fines Google more money than there is in the entire world. #Russia #Google pic.twitter.com/i2q9oHKKGm
— joe (@JoeF_E17) October 31, 2024
It's interesting to see how digital platforms like YouTube are becoming battlegrounds for geopolitical tensions. This fine isn't just about money; it's a clear signal of the ongoing struggle over information control between Russia and global tech giants like Google.
— Asad Nasir (@asadnasir2000) November 2, 2024
Russia is trying to fine Google $20 decillion over YouTube bans
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) October 29, 2024
• The fine surpasses the entire wealth and asset value on Earth
• Google so far has ignored their demands pic.twitter.com/aG5w55Q3aQ
Just learned the word “decillion” because Russia fined Google a whopping $20 decillion!😂😂😂
— Victor Madu (@victorpraiztech) November 1, 2024
That’s like trying to count the number of times I’ve hit “snooze” on my alarm😊#google #Russia pic.twitter.com/1rrpJKj3BH
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