OK, but to be fair, at least MacOS also asks for file access permissions, and indicates if the mic is being used with the orange dot that this thread is about.

OK, but to be fair, at least MacOS also asks for file access permissions, and indicates if the mic is being used with the orange dot that this thread is about. So when running zoom in the browser, it could still keep the mic open and listen, until closing the browser tab. That would be equivalent to closing the native app. I can see a small advantage when running in the browser, but it also comes with additional privacy risks. For example, if I want the browser to remember my settings for file and mic/camera access, I can't run it in a private tab, meaning that tracking via cookies and other techniques becomes a lot easier.