Mailchimp and Shopify End Partnership Over Data and Privacy Disputes
Mailchimp and Shopify officially end their integration after failing to agree on data-sharing terms. The breakup highlights growing tensions as Mailchimp expands into e-commerce territory.
Mailchimp and Shopify officially end their integration after a very public dispute over data sharing and user privacy. Shopify removes the Mailchimp app from its marketplace, stating that Mailchimp refuses to share customer data and sync email opt-out preferences, which limits merchant insights and compliance with privacy laws.
Mailchimp tells a completely different story, arguing that Shopify demands access to all user data, including historical information collected before the new terms existed. The email marketing company insists that complying with these broad data requests hurts customer privacy and is a non-starter for their business standards.
Underlying this technical disagreement is a growing competitive rivalry between the two platforms. Mailchimp recently partners with Square to launch shoppable landing pages, pushing the company deeper into Shopify's e-commerce territory and making a continued partnership increasingly difficult.