The scale of the fine imposed on Google by Russia leaves the world speechless. For the first time, a sanction with 36 zeros falls on a tech giant, and defies all known economic measures. This insane amount, which far exceeds global GDP, constitutes an unprecedented step in the war for digital sovereignty. Russia, through this unprecedented penalty, denounces the deletion of Russian media accounts and channels by Google on its YouTube platform, an action that it considers a direct attack on its media sovereignty.
The reasons for a record sanction
On October 29, 2024, Russian justice imposed an unprecedented fine on Google, an amount estimated at two undecillion rubles, or 36 zeros, a figure that borders on the absurd. Such a decision follows Google's refusal to reinstate Russian media channels removed from YouTube, deemed pro-government. Among these channels, some broadcast content deemed sensitive or strategic by the government of Vladimir Putin. Faced with this decision, the Russian authorities accuse Google of “cyber-interference” in its internal affairs. The Russian Ministry of Communications had also demanded this summer that Google restore the channels and accounts concerned, an injunction that remained a dead letter, which precipitated the legal proceedings.
At the same time, this fine was designed to be impossible to pay. Indeed, the amount far exceeds global GDP, estimated at around $110,000 billion, a symbolic act that Russia intends to use to assert its authority. Roman Yankovsky, an analyst at the HSE Education Institute, precise that this sanction is more of a signal than a demand: “Google clearly will not pay this penalty, and the Russian Federation will not be able to recover this money from the company.” Thus, the objective is above all political, because the government seeks to show that Russia will not tolerate the interference of foreign entities in its digital space.
The implications and the message sent to the tech giants
This unprecedented fine is also a weapon of deterrence towards large Western tech companies which, according to Moscow, impose their own rules on digital platforms operating in Russia. The Kremlin wants to send a message to multinationals that they cannot ignore national laws and interests under penalty of heavy sanctions. Furthermore, the Russian legislative framework has tightened, which aims to guarantee strict control over information disseminated to the Russian public. This means that Google and its peers will face an increasingly restrictive environment.
The situation puts Google in a dilemma. Even if the company considered paying, it would face U.S. sanctions, which have banned transactions with Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. This situation therefore creates an impasse for Google, which could be forced to review its positioning in Russia. If this fine remains unpaid, Russia could then decide to restrict access to its services or strengthen its local alternatives, accelerating the “balkanization” of the Internet.
Through this fine imposed on Google, which even the figures struggle to contain, Russia places digital sovereignty at the heart of its geopolitical strategy. This record sanction could well mark the beginning of an era where technology giants are forced to comply with local regulations under penalty of severe reprisals. For Google and its counterparts, this involves a crucial choice: adapt to the requirements of the states where they operate or risk outright exclusion from certain markets.
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