A Google spokesperson said on Wednesday that the company’s branch in Russia will file for bankruptcy since the Russian government seized its bank account, making it impossible to, well, run a business.
This isn’t the first time Google has been under attack in Russia, though. The company has been facing pressure because it refuses to delete content that is considered illegal in the country and because it’s blocked some state accounts on platforms like YouTube.
So far, Google is the first major tech company to declare bankruptcy like this, although many others have suspended their operations.
Key comments:
“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 said.
“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,” the spokesperson added.
