Google has removed a Chrome extension from its online store it was revealed to be being used by Neo-Nazis to identify and target people with Jewish-sounding names online.

The Echo app was designed to work in the background of the internet browser and would highlight Jewish-sounding names and the full names of high-profile Jewish individuals when they appear on any webpage using three sets of parenthesis.

The app called itself a “coincidence detector” - a reference to the conspiracy theory put about by far-right groups and antisemites that influential Jewish people are secretly in control of the media, the government and the financial industry.

It works by using a database of popular Jewish names as well as names of prominent Jewish people such as Michael Bloomberg, the former Mayor of New York.

His name would appear as (((Michael Bloomberg))) on any webpage where his name appeared while the extension was installed.

Users were also invited to submit their own suggestions.

The supposed goal of the app was to highlight supposed links between high-profile Jewish figures to prove the far-right’s theories about the secret Jewish plot they believe is being concealed by the mainstream media.

The parenthesis have used as a symbol to alert users to people they would then target with online abuse for at least two years, news website Mic reports.

Michael Bloomberg is one the prominent Jewish figures who has had his name put into the database (Getty Images)

Its origins can be traced back to a far-right podcast called The Daily Shoah in 2014 - it is supposed to represent the “echoes” of a beacon calling on others to target them.

These antisemitic social media users, known as the “alt-right”, are predominantly young online trolls who use the symbol to mock, intimidate and target Jewish people.

One Twitter user called it “closed captioning for the Jew blind”.

This far-right fringe has reportedly been emboldened by the popularity of Donald Trump, the prospective Republican presidential nominee, and his populist rhetoric.

Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at California’s Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty

One of the victims of the technique, Washington Post deputy editor Jonathan Weisman, wrote about being the subject of online harassment from an account called @CyberTrump.

When he asked his abuser why he was using the parenthesis, @CyberTrump responded saying “It’s a dog whistle, fool. Belling the cat for my fellow goyim”.

Before Google deleted the app in response to the Mic article, the extension had 2,473 users and a five star rating.

Although some criticised the app in the comments section and demanded it be removed, others praised the app saying they were going to give it to their children.

One wrote: “I’m going to install this on my son’s ipad and see whether the notices any more coincidences (connections between Jewish people)”.

Jonathan Sacerdoti director of communications at the Campaign Against Antisemitism told The Independent that internet companies needed to do more to “keep up to speed” with the changing techniques used by antisemites to target Jewish people.

He said: “In the past they have been too slow to react decisively to stop the abuse of Jewish people, often relying on slow and cumbersome systems for users to report anti-Jewish abuse, and then taking too long to deal with the abuse.