However, the article's topic verbatim states privavy is "the most important", which makes it an either-or statement by the very nature of a superlative.
The person you replied to did in no way say privacy is not also important, but rightfully pointed out that the survival of life on the planet is more important than privacy.
If anything this says two things:
- superlatives are overused
- just because superlatives are overused doesn't mean we should ignore their semantics
Climate change and the environment at large are orders of magnitude more important than 'privacy', on this planet, at this time.
This quote is not apt here because that's not what's at stake, and it misses the point completely, which is that claiming that privacy is the "most important concept of our time", apart from being a strange wording, is quite out of touch with the reality of the world's current problems.
I know that Benjamin Franklin said this in a completely different context and for another purpose, [1] but it makes sense to me to repeat his saying:
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
[1]: https://www.npr.org/2015/03/02/390245038/ben-franklins-famou...