Google secured an injunction from London's High Court on Wednesday to halt Russian judgments against the tech giant regarding the closure of certain Google and YouTube accounts. Judge Andrew Henshaw approved a permanent anti-enforcement injunction, citing that Google's terms specified disputes should be resolved in English courts.
In a written ruling, Henshaw revealed that Google Russia faced fines reaching up to 20 trillion times the global GDP, as estimated by its liquidator. The lawsuits were brought by Tsargrad TV and RT in Russia, resulting in judgments with escalating "astreinte penalties."
During a hearing in November, Google's lawyers disclosed that penalties against its Russian subsidiary reached a figure with 36 zeroes. Despite attempts to enforce these judgments in multiple countries, Henshaw mentioned that the channels faced challenges in Algeria, Egypt, Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, and Vietnam.
Following the decision, a Google spokesperson expressed satisfaction, stating, "For years, Russian courts have issued unprecedented fines aimed at restricting access to information and penalizing Google for complying with international sanctions." Additionally, Google ceased serving ads in Russia in March 2022 and halted monetization of content related to Russia's actions in Ukraine, culminating in the blockage of numerous YouTube channels and millions of videos.