A Russian court has imposed an absurdly large fine on Google, amounting to 20 decillion dollars. The Kremlin is targeting YouTube, a platform owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet. The conflict began in 2020 when YouTube started banning several Russian state media outlets , intensifying after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. YouTube claimed these accounts violated its policies , prompting the court's enormous fine. However, this penalty is more symbolic than realistic, as the amount is vastly higher than the global economy’s total worth. Even the Kremlin acknowledges Google is unlikely to pay. Despite this, the Russian media reports that if Google doesn't comply, the fine will continue to escalate and could eventually reach an astronomical sum of $1 googol —a term used by Google to reference a 1 followed by 100 zeros.
Vocabulary :
• fine (noun): a penalty in the form of money for breaking a rule.
• ban (verb): to officially stop someone from doing something.
• media (noun): organizations that provide news and information.
• symbolic (adj): representing an idea or quality rather than having a practical effect.
• escalate (verb): to increase rapidly.
• fee (noun): money paid for a service or as a penalty.