US regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to stop the company from continuing to crush competition through its dominant search engine, after a court ruled it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade .

The breakup proposal is contained in a 23-page document filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, calling on Google to sell its industry-leading Chrome web browser and impose restrictions intended to prevent its Android smartphone software from favoring its engine. research.

The recommended sanctions underscore the extent to which regulators operating under President Joe Biden believe Google should be punished following an August ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta that called Google a monopoly.

Justice Department policymakers who will inherit the case after President-elect Donald Trump takes office next year may not be so strident.

Washington DC court hearings on Google’s sanction are expected to begin in April and Mr Mehta aims to issue his final decision before Labor Day.

If Mr. Mehta accepts the Justice Department’s recommendations, Google will almost certainly appeal the sanctions, prolonging a legal battle that has lasted for more than four years.

In addition to seeking a Chrome spinoff and rounding up Android software, the Justice Department wants the judge to bar Google from making multibillion-dollar deals to lock its dominant search engine as the default option on the iPhone and other Apple devices.

Regulators also want Google to share the data it collects from user queries with its competitors, giving them a better chance of competing with the tech giant.

The measures, if ordered, threaten to upend a business expected to generate more than $300 billion (£236 billion) in revenue this year.

“The playing field is not level due to Google’s behavior, and Google’s standing reflects the ill-gotten gains of an illegally acquired advantage,” the US Department of Justice said in its recommendations. “The remedy must fill this gap and deprive Google of these advantages.”

It’s still possible that the Justice Department will slow down attempts to break up Google, especially if Mr. Trump takes the widely anticipated step of replacing Jonathan Kanter, Mr. Biden’s nominee to oversee the agency’s antitrust division.

Although the case against Google was initially filed in the final months of Mr. Trump’s first term, Mr. Kanter oversaw the high-profile trial that resulted in Mr. Mehta’s decision against Google. Working in tandem with Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan, Mr. Kanter took a tough stance against Big Tech that sparked other crackdowns on industrial powerhouses such as Apple and discouraged the conclusion of trade agreements over the past four years.

Mr. Trump recently expressed fears that a split could destroy Google, but did not specify what alternative sanctions he might have in mind.

“What you can do without breaking it is make sure it’s fairer,” Mr. Trump said last month.