Russia Hits Google With $78 Million for Ignoring Previous Penalties on Content

The $78 million fine far exceeds Russia's typical $40,000 penalties for other tech companies.

By Thea Felicity

Jan 14 2025, 08:31 AM EST

RUSSIA-INTERNET-GOOGLE — A picture taken on October 18, 2021 in Moscow shows the US multinational technology and Internet-related services company Google's logo on a tablet screen. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

Google has failed to comply with Russia's earlier penalty orders, receiving a fresh fine of $78 million, the Moscow courts announced.

The fine is considered higher than the usual fines of around $40,000 foreign technology companies are subjected to for not removing content that the Russian government considers illegal. Moscow did not specify the offense Google allegedly ignored.

For some time, Reuters reported that Russia has been instructing foreign companies to delete contents it deems unlawful. The nation has been known to fine violators. Among the services provided by Google, YouTube has not been spared of these penalties. For the last couple of years, Russia has been going on a crusade against content online, instructing the providers to delete any content deemed to oppose the government.

YouTube has received much attention regarding its hosting of contents that go against President Vladimir Putin and his government. Google data showed that YouTube initially had 50 million users, which is now down to 12 million in Russia.

This has drawn accusations from critics that the Russian authorities are deliberately slowing YouTube's download speeds to hinder access to content critical of the government. However, Russia denies these claims, indicating that the problems are caused due to Google not updating its equipment, which Google and independent technology experts have also disputed.

Google's Escalating Pressure in Russia

In December, President Vladimir Putin accused Google of acting as a tool for the US government, using its platform to promote political agendas against Russia.

Google has yet to comment publicly about the recent fine.

However, Fortune explained that if the company is unable to pay the fine set by Russia, then the company is likely to be subject to rising legal and operational troubles. Russian authorities can increase the pressure by way of additional fines, seizure of assets, or harsher enforcement action. They could even block Google services or restrict access to its platforms, including YouTube, further disrupting its operations in Russia.

Besides the freezing of the company's Russian bank accounts and prosecution of Russian employees or representation offices, further sanctions could potentially alienate the Russian market. Such behavior would also form a precedent with respect to actions taken by governments of other nations toward tech firms that refuse compliance with local jurisdictions.