‘Barron’s Roundtable’ panelists Jack Hough, Al Root and Megan Leonhardt discuss the top three headlines of the week.
A Russian Court fined Menlo Park, California-based Google $2 decillion, which continues to grow each day over penalties for non-payment, for blocking content on YouTube, according to reports.
Russian state news agency Tass reported that Google owes the Russian government the equivalent of $2 decillion, a 34-figure number.
The world’s combined economy is estimated to be $110 trillion, a 15-figure number.
“Google was called by a Russian court to administrative liability under Art. 13.41 of the Administrative Offenses Code for removing channels on the YouTube platform,” attorney Ivan Morozov told Tass. “The court ordered the company to restore these channels.”
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FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is seen on the Google house at CES 2024, an annual consumer electronics trade show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 10, 2024. REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo/File Photo (REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
The news agency reported that Morozov said the ruling stipulates that if Google does not pay the fine within nine months, the fine will double every day, with no limit to the number.
The ruling also stipulates that Google will be permitted to return to Russia only after complying with the court’s decision.
Google did not immediately respond to FOX Business for comment.
YOUTUBE BLOCKS RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT CHANNEL, DRAWING IRE FROM OFFICIALS
A picture taken on February 1, 2022 shows the Vodovzvodnaya Tower of the Kremlin (L) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia’s building (R)in Moscow. ((Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Reuters reported that on Thursday the Kremlin said Google should lift its block on Russian TV channels broadcasting on YouTube.
Google stopped posting ads to users in Russia in March 2022 and paused monetization of content which it deemed to exploit, dismiss or condone Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Since 2022, Google has blocked over 1,000 YouTube channels, including state-sponsored news, and over 5.5 million videos.
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In this photo illustration, the logo of YouTube is seen displayed on a mobile phone screen with a Google logo in the background. (Photo Illustration by Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters the huge sum, which he said he could not pronounce, was symbolic.
“These demands – they simply demonstrate the essence of our channels’ claims against Google,” Peskov said. “Google should not restrict the activities of our broadcasters, and Google is doing this.
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“Probably, this (the huge legal claims mounting up) should be a reason for Google’s management to take notice and rectify the situation,” Peskov added. “It’s the best thing the company can do.”
Reuters contributed to this report.