United States regulators have asked the court to force the technology company Google to break its monopoly on Internet search, namely through the sale of the Chrome browser.
The proposal is part of a 23-page document released on Wednesday night by the US Department of Justice, which also demands measures so that cell phone programs with the Android operating system favor Google's search engine.
In addition to selling Chrome, the world's most popular browser, the Justice Department wants to ban the company from signing multibillion-dollar deals to ensure the search engine is the default option on Apple's iPhone and other devices.
Regulators also want Google to share the data it collects from user queries with its rivals, giving them a better opportunity to compete with the tech giant.
The proposal was sent to U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, who in August ruled that Google has an abusive monopoly on the Internet search business.
Court hearings on Google's punishment are expected to begin in the capital, Washington, in April and Mehta has already said he intends to issue a final decision before Labor Day, May 1.
If the judge accepts the Justice Department's recommendations, Google will almost certainly appeal the punishments, prolonging a legal dispute that has been going on for more than four years.
The measures threaten to upend a business that is expected to generate more than $300 billion (284 billion euros) in revenue this year for Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc.
However, the situation could change, especially if US President-elect Donald Trump decides to replace Jonathan Kanter, who was appointed by current leader Joe Biden to lead the Justice Department's antitrust efforts.
Kanter has taken a tough stance against big tech companies, including Apple.
Trump recently expressed concerns that a breakup of Google could destroy the technology, but did not elaborate on alternative penalties he might have in mind.
"What you can do without sharing is make sure it's more fair," Trump said in October.
Matt Gaetz, the former Republican congressman who Trump nominated to be the next US attorney general, has previously called for the break-up of big tech companies.
In 2001, another federal judge imposed a similar punishment on Microsoft after ruling that the software maker had illegally used its Windows operating system for laptops to stifle competition.
However, an appeals court overturned an order that would have broken up Microsoft, a precedent that many experts believe will make Mehta reluctant to follow a similar path in the Google case.
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