It's irrelevant to the argument. The author is making an appeal to the slippery slope (even if it's not happening right now, and even if Google is not doing it.

It's irrelevant to the argument. The author is making an appeal to the slippery slope (even if it's not happening right now, and even if Google is not doing it.... It could easily happen tomorrow and anyone could do it. Shutter your cameras and make sure your microphones can be physically deactivated).