Russia fines Google less than what the company makes in an hour

Antitrust authorities in Russia hit Google this morning with a fine of around $6.8 million — what the company brought in, roughly, in the time it took me to make my coffee and write this post.

Google reported $21.3 billion in gross revenue last quarter.

Still, Russia’s gesture is more damning to Google than the fine. It’s another dent from an onslaught of regulatory probes into the web giant for anticompetitive behavior. Russia’s case, like one (of three) in Europe, hinges on Google’s practice of installing its Play store apps and services on Android devices.

Unlike other countries, Russia has a viable Google competitor on web search, Yandex, which has pushed authorities to curb Android pre-installs. Google’s also not the only U.S. company in Russian cross-hairs: Earlier this week, authorities opened a price-fixing case against Apple.

Google offered this statement on the fine: “We have received notice of the fine from FAS [Russia’s antitrust arm] and will analyze closely before deciding our next steps.”

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Millions turn to Vox to educate themselves, their family, and their friends about what’s happening in the world around them, and to learn about things that spark their curiosity. Financial contributions from our readers are a critical part of supporting our resource-intensive work and help us keep our journalism free for all. Please consider making a one-time contribution to Vox today.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$95/year

$120/year

$250/year

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $120/year

Yes, I'll give $120/year

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via