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Russian TV channel to seek Google fines abroad over YouTube block after US search giant loses appeal

  • A Christian Orthodox channel owned by sanctioned Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeev said Google lost a court appeal against a 2021 ruling in Moscow
  • Malofeev said Google already owes 1 billion roubles in fines and that he will seek fines in other countries like China and India

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A broken Ethernet cable is seen in front of Russian flag and YouTube logo in this illustration taken March 11, 2022. Photo: Reuters
Reuters
The television channel of a sanctioned Russian businessman on Thursday said Alphabet Inc’s Google had lost a court appeal against a 2021 ruling that the company pay a compounding fine for blocking access to the channel’s YouTube account.

The Moscow District Arbitration Court was unable to provide information by phone and did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Google, which Tsargrad said blocked the YouTube account in July 2020, did not respond to a request for comment.

Google was disputing a daily 100,000 rouble (US$1,050) fine it was ordered to pay in April 2021 after failing to unblock Tsargrad TV’s YouTube account, a Christian Orthodox channel owned by businessman Konstantin Malofeev.

Konstantin Malofeev, chairman of the board of directors of the Tsargrad media group, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Moscow on September 16, 2021. Photo: Reuters
Konstantin Malofeev, chairman of the board of directors of the Tsargrad media group, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Moscow on September 16, 2021. Photo: Reuters

The Moscow Arbitration Court said last year the daily fine would double each week that Google failed to comply. Tsargrad said Google already owes 1 billion roubles in fines, as of mid-March.

“Currently, writs of execution have been issued, enforcement orders have been initiated and funds sufficient to fulfil the court acts have been seized from Google’s accounts,” Tsargrad said in a statement.

A simmering confrontation between Moscow and foreign tech firms has escalated in light of the crisis in Ukraine, and Russia has blocked access to Meta Platforms Inc’s flagship social media, Facebook and Instagram.

Tsargrad has said the fine would stop compounding when it hit 1 billion roubles. From September, that limit will be removed.

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