Google Russia goes broke after bank account snatched
(2022/05/19)
- Reference: 1652923686
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/05/19/google_russia_bankruptcy/
- Source link:
Google Russia is shutting down and filing for bankruptcy after Vladimir Putin's government confiscated the Chocolate Factory's bank account in the nation.
"The Russian authorities' seizure of Google Russia's bank account has made it untenable for our Russia office to function, including employing and paying Russia-based employees, paying suppliers and vendors, and meeting other financial obligations," a Google spokesperson confirmed to The Register in a statement on Wednesday.
"Google Russia has published a notice of its intention to file for bankruptcy."
[1]
Staff working for Google Russia were given a choice of moving to a different subsidiary or leaving their jobs. Most employees have opted to move to Dubai, [2]according to the Wall Street Journal. Google began relocating workers in March, just after Russia launched a full invasion on Ukraine.
[3]
[4]
The war has worsened [5]already tense relations between the Kremlin and the search giant. Russian courts have lately fined Google for failing to remove what officials claimed was pro-Ukrainian propaganda, and for airing allegedly false reports of Russian troop losses, on YouTube: in April Google was ordered to cough up [6]seven million rubles ($86,394) for not taking down the aforementioned video content, and [7]four million rubles ($50,124) for the troop reports, according to Russian state media TASS.
Like other Big Tech companies, Google has wound down operations in the heavily sanctioned country, suspending its ad operations in Russia and halting advertising booked globally by Russian organizations. Russian Android users [8]can no longer purchase any apps and services via the Google Play store now that the billing system is [9]paused .
[10]
A rather detailed notice submitted by Google to Russian officials stated Google Russia was filing for bankruptcy as it seems inevitable given its situation, and that it will not be able to pay employees, Reuters [11]reported .
"Since March 22, 2022, it foresees its own bankruptcy and inability to fulfil its monetary obligations, demands to pay severance payments and (or) the remuneration of staff working or previously working under an employment contract, and (or) the obligation to make mandatory payments within the prescribed period," the note said.
[12]Google blocks paid apps from Play Store in Russia
[13]Putin reaches for nuclear option: Zuckerberg banned
[14]Off the grid, Day 10: Yandex's only datacenter outside of Russia still running on diesel
[15]Russia cobbles together supercomputing platform to wean off foreign suppliers
Although commercial operations have ceased, Google said it was committed to continue to provide free services online, such as email and web searches, to Russians.
"We previously announced that we paused the vast majority of our commercial operations in Russia," the Google spokesperson told us. "People in Russia rely on our services to access quality information and we'll continue to keep free services such as Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Android and Play available." ®
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[2] https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-subsidiary-in-russia-to-file-for-bankruptcy-11652876597
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YoXA49yC96ZZfp-OY6CvNAAAAIg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/25/tech_offices_russia/
[6] https://tass.com/society/1441167
[7] https://tass.com/economy/1441039
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/10/google_blocks_paid_apps_from/
[9] https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/11950272?hl=en
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YoXA49yC96ZZfp-OY6CvNAAAAIg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/googles-russian-subsidiary-files-bankruptcy-document-2022-05-18/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/10/google_blocks_paid_apps_from/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/22/zuckerberg_ban_russia/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/05/yandex_datacenter_in_finland/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/11/russia_reveal_supercomputer_to_help/
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
"The Russian authorities' seizure of Google Russia's bank account has made it untenable for our Russia office to function, including employing and paying Russia-based employees, paying suppliers and vendors, and meeting other financial obligations," a Google spokesperson confirmed to The Register in a statement on Wednesday.
"Google Russia has published a notice of its intention to file for bankruptcy."
[1]
Staff working for Google Russia were given a choice of moving to a different subsidiary or leaving their jobs. Most employees have opted to move to Dubai, [2]according to the Wall Street Journal. Google began relocating workers in March, just after Russia launched a full invasion on Ukraine.
[3]
[4]
The war has worsened [5]already tense relations between the Kremlin and the search giant. Russian courts have lately fined Google for failing to remove what officials claimed was pro-Ukrainian propaganda, and for airing allegedly false reports of Russian troop losses, on YouTube: in April Google was ordered to cough up [6]seven million rubles ($86,394) for not taking down the aforementioned video content, and [7]four million rubles ($50,124) for the troop reports, according to Russian state media TASS.
Like other Big Tech companies, Google has wound down operations in the heavily sanctioned country, suspending its ad operations in Russia and halting advertising booked globally by Russian organizations. Russian Android users [8]can no longer purchase any apps and services via the Google Play store now that the billing system is [9]paused .
[10]
A rather detailed notice submitted by Google to Russian officials stated Google Russia was filing for bankruptcy as it seems inevitable given its situation, and that it will not be able to pay employees, Reuters [11]reported .
"Since March 22, 2022, it foresees its own bankruptcy and inability to fulfil its monetary obligations, demands to pay severance payments and (or) the remuneration of staff working or previously working under an employment contract, and (or) the obligation to make mandatory payments within the prescribed period," the note said.
[12]Google blocks paid apps from Play Store in Russia
[13]Putin reaches for nuclear option: Zuckerberg banned
[14]Off the grid, Day 10: Yandex's only datacenter outside of Russia still running on diesel
[15]Russia cobbles together supercomputing platform to wean off foreign suppliers
Although commercial operations have ceased, Google said it was committed to continue to provide free services online, such as email and web searches, to Russians.
"We previously announced that we paused the vast majority of our commercial operations in Russia," the Google spokesperson told us. "People in Russia rely on our services to access quality information and we'll continue to keep free services such as Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Android and Play available." ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YoXA49yC96ZZfp-OY6CvNAAAAIg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[2] https://www.wsj.com/articles/google-subsidiary-in-russia-to-file-for-bankruptcy-11652876597
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YoXA49yC96ZZfp-OY6CvNAAAAIg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YoXA49yC96ZZfp-OY6CvNAAAAIg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/25/tech_offices_russia/
[6] https://tass.com/society/1441167
[7] https://tass.com/economy/1441039
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/10/google_blocks_paid_apps_from/
[9] https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/11950272?hl=en
[10] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YoXA49yC96ZZfp-OY6CvNAAAAIg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[11] https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/googles-russian-subsidiary-files-bankruptcy-document-2022-05-18/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/10/google_blocks_paid_apps_from/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/22/zuckerberg_ban_russia/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/05/yandex_datacenter_in_finland/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/11/russia_reveal_supercomputer_to_help/
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Jan K.
Yeah. To Dubai, another great place well-known for it's high human rights standard.
Good done.
Seize Russian ships
Pass laws letting countries seize Russian assets to repay their asset seizures within Russia. Use it to seize Russia ships, their oil tankers, Russian oil in third party tankers, warships, supplies into Russia that they've paid for, before they take delivery of said goods. Anything of value.
Reparations for Google's lost accounts.
Ukraine Reparations fund too, that fund needs Russia money in it. Start collecting those reparations now, in preparation for Russia losing its war, so Ukraine can be compensated and rebuilt. The less money Russia has, the less it can spend on its political puppets around the world.
See the new Ted Cruz/GOP Supreme Court ruling: Politicians can solicit donations to their election campaigns, AFTER winning the election, when there is NO LONGER an election campaign, and they can use that money themselves for their own debts. That's money straight into an elected politicians pocket at that point, as he is signing and voting on legislation, for a campaign he's already won. It's like "NO WIN NO FEE" for bribers.
The more money you grab from Russia, the less it would have available to funnel into a Ted Cruz Cancun bank account. The less it can try to buy influence by paying the Wackadoodle's campaign funds.