I am afraid I have no idea what this question is actually meant to address. Thunderbird is not some collection of component you can install piecemeal, it is a single piece of software with various functions. Thunderbird is software installed on your computer. What it transfers to other locations on the internet is entirely configurable within it's need to actually function. That is to get mail it has to send your user name and password to your mail provider etc. To look up your email providers settings it has to send enough information to the sources it can get the information from to determine that the setting can connect to the mail server. I think I have already spent more time on trying to explain what is a simple privacy statement which you apparently do not understand. I suggest you actually read it again and ask specific questions about the things you do not understand instead of lumping in a single statement "fast and loose personal data collection and flinging about " as I feel that is so far from what the document says as to verge on complete fiction. You can use Thunderbird without setting up an email address. It will be largely crippled as it's primary function is as a mail client, not an RSS reader. But that is your choice. I don't have to put up with it. Likewise you can use Thunderbird as an RSS reader, but I don't understand why anyone would use Thunderbird solely as an RSS reader. There are plenty of probably better dedicated readers out there if you are only going to use the RSS parts.