I think it would be odd if NYT bought Wordle and didn't attempt to get some value out of it (whether that be a paywall, adding advertisements, or the least visible option: tracking).

> And again, this scenario applies to most of the sites you likely visit every day, not just Wordle.

This is the most important point, IMO. Digital surveillance (by governments and companies) is absolutely a pressing issue, but things like cell phone geolocation or ISP logs seem like much bigger threats than Wordle. I suppose it makes for a more current and eye-catching headline, though.