...tech companies use email all day long to link digital data together. Most people who manage a newsletter do not write their own newsletter software. In fact practically none of them do. Ergo, you get tracked via newsletter also.
"They don't use their own service" is not the same as, "this is evidence they do in fact track via email."
What you don't seem to realize is, the signup ITSELF is the data they want, and click through rates. You being on a mailing list is already ample tracking compared to what most people are bitching about... You're GIVING them the info, then whining about them having it...
No one is whining about being put on an email list at their own request. Which you obviously know. People were making the point that newsletters aren't magically immune to data tracking.
You can bet your ass the MailChimp is sharing a fuckton of data with advertising partners in order to maximize sales to you. It's not supposed to be controversial. I first just assumed this was something you hadn't thought about. Sadly you seem hostile to information you hadn't considered.
What a great analogy. You just be really proud of your vast knowledge which includes: there exist tech companies who could easily sell your data but suddenly decided not to.
Note: They ALREADY HAVE YOUR DATA in this scenario. You're like the fucking stupid soldier who wants to go back out there while they're currently bleeding out... You've already lost by the point we're talking about. They have your email. They have your interests. You've already visited their site and gotten their cookies to sign up...
If you even remotely want to see the email, they're already tracking you far, FAR more than they'd be able to with email. Click on a link in there? Congratulations: It DOESN'T MATTER what's in the email at that point. You're back in their entire environment and you've signaled email helped get you there. Regardless of what was in the email.
You're complaining about someone stealing food from your fridge and conveniently ignoring that they have to have access to your house to even try it in the first place...