There are a lot of people out there protecting digital rights and privacy right now. "Protecting" something is an entirely different thing as it being "protected" already.

Depends who he means with "we". Being a Google Design Ethicist, you'd expect he means Google - which isn't exactly well-known for protecting privacy.

I think you missed the last bit of the text:

> Ex-Design Ethicist & Product Philosopher @ Google

Ex.

Well, that's true. Though we don't know exactly why he quit.