I think a middle ground may be having that requirement for background mic usage, or usage without a specific user prompt that turns on a mic.

Lots of apps have legitimate use for the mic. Apps having legitimate use for the mic while you’re not actively using the app on screen are more limited and need stricter permissions.

I’d also like to have a hardware mic mute switch that physically disconnects the mic, so I can just keep it off unless I want it like I do with the mic and Webcam on my computer.