Apple to tighten Mac access controls as AI agents reach private data
Apple says it will add stricter controls to macOS Full Disk Access, a permission that can expose files, email, messages and browsing history. The change is aimed at making consent more explicit as AI agents gain wider access to Macs; Apple has not announced a release date or named any developer.
Bottom line — Apple’s forthcoming controls target a permission that can expose not only users’ data but also the private messages of people they communicate with.
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Apple says Full Disk Access largely bypasses normal privacy controls so backup apps can work, but warns some developers use it in ways that put users at risk.
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Apple’s announcement followed columnist Jason Aten’s claim that Meta’s Muse accessed his private messages; Meta disputed the account and said reading Messages requires both Full Disk Access and an enabled Messages connector.
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TechCrunch also reported that a flaw in OpenAI’s Mac app could have let an attacker run malicious commands through its agent; OpenAI fixed the bug, according to AppleInsider.
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Apple has not specified what the new controls will look like, when they will arrive, or whether existing permissions will change.