US antitrust lawyers are calling on a judge to force the sale of Google's Chrome browser to limit the company's market clout in a move that would shake up the internet giant.

The spinoff would be a major blow to the tech giant and will likely kick off a legal fight with wide-reaching implications for its core business.

The US government formally proposed a partial breakup of Google on Wednesday, urging a federal judge to force a sale of the company’s Chrome web browser after a landmark ruling this year finding that Google had violated US antitrust law with its search business.