Google recognizes duplicate content as blocks of text that are either identical or strikingly similar appearing on multiple pages. When the duplication occurs within the source code but does not render twice visibly on the webpage, Google’s algorithms predominantly evaluate the displayed page content.

Here are a few factors to consider:
Rendering to Users vs. Crawlers: If the duplicated content in the code is not rendered visibly to users and doesn’t affect how search engines perceive what users see, it is less likely to be flagged as duplicate content. Google’s crawling and rendering systems may primarily focus on how the page appears to users.
HTML Comments and Styling Tags: If the duplication exists within HTML comments or is a result of non-visible meta tags that do not impact the user experience or are invisible upon rendering, it typically doesn’t contribute to duplicate content penalties.
User Perception: Google aims to deliver meaningful and relevant content to users. If the duplication does not alter the content they consume, the focus leans towards the user experience rather than code-level repetitions.
Canonical Tags and Proper Configuration: Using canonical tags correctly helps direct Google’s attention to the preferred version of the content. This serves well if there’s any ambiguity created by duplicated content blocks across different URLs.

That said, maintaining clean, organized, and non-redundant code is advisable for performance optimization and ensuring there are no unexpected indexing or user experience issues. Regularly auditing your site’s code for possible inefficiencies or duplications can prevent future discrepancies or technical challenges.