While this is obviously a noteworthy report (in this day and age, it's amazing that flight clearances are still given over voice - FM radio - liable to misheari

While this is obviously a noteworthy report (in this day and age, it's amazing that flight clearances are still given over voice - FM radio - liable to mishearing and interference, and generally pretty terrible for pilot workload!) - this wasn't as dangerous as the title implies. All modern airliners are equipped with TCAS (Traffic Collision Avoidance System) which will automatically instruct pilots to avert their course and take evasive action if it detects a converging flight path: this is totally independent from air traffic control and pilots are mandated to follow TCAS above all else. The flight paths weren't converging in this case (there was just a loss of separation) but if they had been, both pilots would have been commanded to avoid each other.