Thank you for explaining to me that query parameters can be used for other purposes apart from tracking. The articles in question though, are railing against query parameters being abused for tracking purposes - passing referers (sic) and UTM by adding them to URLs of sites that neither process them, nor want them.

Referral query strings are not for tracking though. The person putting them on the links gets nothing out of them. There is no PII being shared. They are purely added out of courtesy.

If I am handing out maps to your address, letting people know who is publishing the map is generally a good thing.

This is like saying having a return to sender address on mail is an invasion of privacy.