US Justice Department told a federal judge it is considering recommending that Google, GOOGL, be forced to sell off parts of its operations.

US Justice Department told a federal judge it is considering recommending that Google, $GOOGL, be forced to sell off parts of its operations.

The U.S. Department of Justice is considering asking a federal judge to require Google to divest parts of its business to break up its monopoly on online search.

In a court filing late Tuesday, federal prosecutors also suggested that the judge could order Google to share the underlying data powering its search engine and artificial intelligence tools with competitors.

“For over a decade, Google has dominated the most crucial distribution channels, leaving competitors with little incentive to vie for users,” the antitrust enforcers stated in the filing. “Fully remedying these harms involves not only ending Google’s current control over distribution but also ensuring it can’t monopolize distribution in the future.”

The department is considering structural changes to prevent Google from using products like its Chrome browser, Android operating system, AI tools, or app store to boost its search business. The filing also focuses on Google’s default search agreements, with prosecutors signaling that any remedy would aim to limit or prohibit those deals.

Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google's vice president of regulatory affairs, criticized the filing, claiming the Department of Justice was “signaling requests far beyond the specific legal issues” in the case. She warned that “government overreach in a fast-moving industry could have unintended negative consequences for innovation and consumers in America.”

“The government appears to be pushing a broad agenda that will impact multiple industries and products, potentially harming consumers, businesses, and U.S. competitiveness,” Mulholland added.

In August, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google had unlawfully exploited its dominance to stifle competition and hinder innovation. A trial on potential remedies is set for next spring, with Mehta expected to issue a decision by August 2025.

Google has already announced plans to appeal Mehta's ruling but must wait until a remedy is finalized before doing so. The appeal process could stretch up to five years, according to George Hay, a Cornell University law professor and former chief economist for the Justice Department’s antitrust division in the 1970s.