To be fair a lot of sites do need it, especially for more power user level UX. See BetterTTV, RES, etc. Sites generally don't target power users, understandably.

The British PM just had to tell a major media journalist to unmute during the press conference introducing the new quasi-lockdown, so I think we can safely say that Mute button and status is no longer a power-user feature ;)

Doesn't Meet, like most other app, have a message when you try to speak muted? Though they should maybe make it more obvious. I do agree that mute button isn't power user.