Two years after its debut, Yahoo this week shuttered its "do not track" Web browser settings, citing a lack of popularity.

The option initially rolled out in the summer of 2012, and allowed users to opt out of having their Web surfing anonymously tracked in order to serve up targeted ads.

"As the first major tech company to implement Do Not Track, we've been at the heart of conversations surrounding how to develop the most user-friendly standard," the Yahoo privacy team wrote in a blog post. "However, we have yet to see a single standard emerge that is effective, easy to use, and has been adopted by the broader tech industry."

Websites like Yahoo have the ability to offer more relevant ads based on your Web activity. If, for example, you search for a lot of recipes, ads for cooking classes may appear more often than ads for men's clothing.

Some lawmakers and privacy advocates, however, are concerned about how much data Internet companies collect. In turn, "do not track" options offer Web users the ability to opt out of having their activity tracked.

Yahoo users can still manage their privacy, but the collective op-out feature is no longer available. The search giant maintains a number of tools, including opt-out ad matching and management of marketing preferences, accessible via the Yahoo Privacy Center.

"The privacy of our users is and will continue to be a top priority for us," the team wrote.

In a March 2012 privacy report, the Federal Trade Commission recommended that companies integrate simpler and more transparent privacy options like "do not track."

The issue has largely been focused on browsers. Microsoft took heat from advertisers when it moved to turn "do not track" on by default in IE10. Google added it in Chrome 23, though it's buried within the "advanced settings" menu. Mozilla is still working on the best solution for Firefox, while Safari also allows users to opt out.