In a move that could potentially cost it some of its user base, Yahoo intends to encourage those who use its online services to use their Yahoo ID in order to do so and will no longer make the option for users to sign in using the usernames and passwords they have at Google or Facebook, TechCrunch reported.

Reuters, who first reported about the matter, said the move to take away its rivals sign-in credentials as an option for users to use Yahoo services will be done gradually. It will begin with Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick'Em which asks users to have their own Yahoo ID to be able to be granted entry, the report said.

In a statement, the company said, "Yahoo is continually working on improving the user experience, which includes our sign-in process for Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick'Em. This new process, which now asks users to sign in with a Yahoo username, will allow us to offer the best personalized experience to everyone."

This is Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer's latest move in her attempt to get users interested once more in Yahoo's offerings and increase revenues. Since leading the company in 2012, Mayer has revamped and re-launched Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Finance. It also unveiled a plan last year to recycle and use Yahoo user IDs that have been unused for over a year, Reuters reported.

By taking away the option to sign in to Yahoo's services using Facebook or Google credentials, Mayer has turned around the method that former Yahoo CEO Carol Bartz put in place in 2010 and 2011. Eventually, Yahoo will be taking out the Facebook and Google sign-in options from all Yahoo products but no timeframe was given as to when this will happen, the Reuters report said.

The TechCrunch report said Yahoo's move underscores how Mayer, who worked at Google before, "understands the value of access to social data."