On Tuesday, Russia’s antimonopoly watchdog announced that Google (GOOGL.O) was penalized 4 billion roubles ($47 million) for failing to pay a previous payment for alleged misuse of its dominating video hosting industry.
The latest multi-million dollar sanction in Moscow’s increasingly robust assault against international tech businesses.
February 2022 penalized Google 2 billion roubles. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) at the time called YouTube’s “suspending and blocking users’ accounts and content” “non-transparent, biased and unpredictable,” TASS said.
Google appealed it. Tuesday’s email to the U.S. firm went unanswered.
Google’s FAS fine was quadrupled owing to non-payment. “The company must additionally pay more than 4 billion roubles to the Russian Federation’s budget,” the FAS found.
YouTube, which has restricted Russian state-funded media globally, is under pressure from Russian official entities and politicians. Still, Moscow has not blocked it, unlike Twitter and Meta’s (META.O) Facebook and Instagram.
After Russia invaded Ukraine in March 2022, Google stopped selling web advertising in Russia but preserved certain free services. After authorities froze its bank account, its Russian subsidiary declared bankruptcy.
TASS said Google must pay the penalties within 60 days.
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