The Moscow Arbitration Court has issued a fresh order to seize assets and freeze bank accounts belonging to Google LLC, the Russian subsidiary of the tech giant. As a provisional measure in a case brought by the All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company, VGTRK, authorities have frozen 500 million rubles in anticipation of the proceedings. This development was reported by TASS, the Russian news agency.
The case illustrates a pattern in which VGTRK seeks swift, temporary actions to safeguard questions tied to access and financial flows. The court document specifies that the interim measures extend to the confiscation of funds and the seizure of movable and immovable property connected to Google LLC. In practice, such orders can also target sums deposited in bank accounts and other liquid holdings that could affect the defendant’s ability to meet potential obligations arising from the ruling.
The request from VGTRK includes a demand to restore access to YouTube channels under Google control and to levy fines where applicable. The named defendants in the case include Google LLC of the United States, along with its corporate affiliates Google LLC, Google Commerce Limited, and Google Ireland Limited. The dispute centers on content distribution, platform access, and compliance with local regulatory demands, with the court overseeing the enforcement of temporary measures while the broader merits of the case are considered.
Earlier reports noted that Google’s Russian subsidiary expressed an intention to appeal the decision through the arbitration system, seeking to have the interim action reviewed and potentially overturned or modified. The evolving posture of the case reflects ongoing tensions between international digital platforms and national authorities as they navigate questions of competition, access, and compliance with local rules. Observers note that the legal proceedings may influence how tech platforms manage operations within the jurisdiction and how regulators approach the balance between market access and regulatory compliance. As the process unfolds, stakeholders will be watching closely for how the court defines the scope of permissible interim relief and what standards will be applied to assess the legitimacy of the provisional measures taken in this matter.