Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Final fall, Russia slapped Google with a dizzyingly excessive tremendous in response to blocking sanctioned Russian YouTube channels.
- Whereas Google already shut down its Russian operations, the corporate sought authorized protections by submitting lawsuits in worldwide courts.
- This week a UK court docket has dominated in Google’s favor, blocking enforcement of the tremendous.
No one likes paying fines. However whether or not we’re speaking about getting hit with a tremendous for littering, or parking the place we shouldn’t, having to fork over a few of our hard-earned money is meant to suck a bit of bit, as a result of it’s supposed to encourage us to alter our conduct. At the very least, that’s the way in which fines are supposed to work, however you wouldn’t know that from the ridiculous stance Russia has taken in response to Google’s actions. This week we lastly get an replace on a the crazy-high tremendous we noticed the nation levy in opposition to Google final fall.
The federal government of Russia butting heads with tech corporations is nothing new, however the depth of those conflicts has solely elevated within the wake of the nation’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine. The actual incident surrounding this tremendous considerations YouTube blocking entry to content material from sure Russian media teams that Google recognized as impacted by sanctions. Not happy with this response, Russia hit the corporate with a tremendous including as much as some 2 undecillion rubles ($2.5 decillion USD).
That could be a sum that’s simply patently absurd on the floor, representing extra money than the whole planet’s financial system. Whereas there was little likelihood of Google ever even trying to pay up, the corporate nonetheless had to ensure it had its authorized bases lined, and on the time we famous that it was proactively submitting lawsuits in each US and UK courts in opposition to the teams holding the channels it blocked. Now, in accordance with Bloomberg, Google simply scored a win with its swimsuit within the UK.
As a part of an order blocking enforcement of the Russian tremendous, the choose described the nation’s effort as “a coordinated technique of overseas enforcement.”
Google provided its personal assertion on the matter:
For years, Russian courts have levied unprecedented fines and arbitrary authorized penalties in opposition to Google in an try to restrict entry to info on our providers and as punishment for our compliance with worldwide sanctions in opposition to Russian people and organizations.
Regardless of this victory within the UK, Google’s Russian headache is much from over, and the corporate nonetheless faces authorized showdowns over this YouTube block in different venues all over the world, together with South Africa.
