Russia imposes a $2.5 decillion fine on Google, a sum equivalent to 2.5 trillion trillion trillion dollars.

A Russian court has issued a $2.5 decillion fine against Google, alleging the company blocked pro-Kremlin content on YouTube. This astronomical fine—equivalent to $2.5 trillion trillion trillion—is the result of four years' worth of compounding penalties that double weekly under Russian law. The initial fine, set at 100,000 rubles, was imposed in 2020 after Russian media outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN won lawsuits claiming their YouTube channels had been unfairly restricted.

The state-run RBC news outlet reported the fine on Tuesday, noting that Google banned additional media outlets in 2022 over their support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which added to the penalties. Google, which earned $306 billion in revenue last year, also recently halted new account creation for Russian users, deactivated AdSense accounts in August, and suspended online ads in Russia since March 2022, aligning with broader sanctions. 

These actions led Russian authorities to freeze Google’s bank accounts, pushing its Russian subsidiary to declare bankruptcy, though Google’s free services, such as YouTube and Search, continue operating in Russia.

In Google’s latest quarterly report released Tuesday, the company acknowledged its ongoing legal troubles in Russia but stated that they’re unlikely to have a “material adverse effect.” Despite the legal tensions, Alphabet’s shares rose over 5% in after-market trading, driven by stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings.