A plan by Google to block the tracking “cookies” tool is raising concerns at the US Justice Department, according to a report by Reuters.

Investigators at the department have asked advertising execs if the block would negatively impact the tech giant’s smaller rivals, people familiar with the situation told the news agency.

Last year the search engine announced it would ban some cookies in its Chrome internet browser in order to improve user privacy.

The company has revealed more details about the block over the past couple of months, which has prompted online ads competitors to complain about losing access to the data-collecting tool.

According to Reuters, questions from the investigators have included how chrome policies, including the ones related to cookies, impact both the ad and news industries.

Sources said that the department is examining whether or not Google is using its internet browser, which has a 60 per cent global market share, to minimise competition by stopping rival ad businesses from tracking users with cookies.

The latest conversations, which the news organisation first revealed, are likely show that government officials are tracking Google’s projects in the digital ad market globally, where the tech company and social media platform Facebook control 54 per cent of revenue.

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