Experts interviewed by socialbites.ca suggest that by commenting on indicators of possible intentional bankruptcy tied to Google’s subsidiary in Russia, the tech giant may be attempting to sidestep Russian legal requirements once again.
Deputy of the State Duma and deputy chairman of the committee on information policy, information technology and communications, Anton Gorelkin, said that Google’s leadership is trying to act with impunity and that this could constitute another violation.
He reminded that fictitious or deliberate bankruptcy within the Russian Federation would represent a direct breach of law, and he urged law enforcement to probe the situation thoroughly and hold Google executives criminally accountable if the suspicions prove correct.
Victoria Fedosova, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts (ISIP) at RUDN University, observed that Google did not establish a full-fledged representative office in Russia from the outset.
She stated that interaction with the company has been conducted through a so‑called indirectly connected structure, which Google began to assemble after billions of dollars in fines were seen as a logical extension of political campaigns. She also noted that Russia lacks direct leverage over Google LLC, whose central operations are largely based in the United States.
Fedosova projected that following what she describes as the subsidiary’s bankruptcy process, the company might have no assets left within the country, leaving no one to pursue inquiries.
She suggested that Google could previously avoid violations against local laws and rights of viewers and advertisers, and might have implemented political messaging in alignment with US directives. She did not rule out the possibility that, once available mechanisms to influence the service diminish, Russian authorities could slow traffic to Google services or even block them entirely, including YouTube.
The expert noted that Russian private entities may pursue contractual disputes related to advertising terms through international arbitration, with courts required to consider such cases. However, most relevant institutions are located in Europe and the United States, which can lead to delays or political considerations affecting rulings.
On September 5, reports indicated that Google’s Russian subsidiary showed signs of willful bankruptcy, with a notification published on the Fedresurs portal by the appointed interim administrator. [citation] The situation underscores ongoing questions about the company’s legal and financial status in the Russian market and how authorities might respond in the near term.