Apple says it will tighten Full Disk Access on the Mac, a permission Apple says can expose everything on a user's system, and it warns that AI agents will make the risks of that access worse. In a developer news post on Friday, Oct. 2, Apple said that as AI agents become more capable and autonomous, the risks tied to that level of access "will grow substantially."
Apple says Full Disk Access largely sidesteps the privacy controls that normally guard users' data, and that it does so to let backup apps work properly. According to Apple, some developers are using it in ways that could expose files, mail, messages and even browsing history without users' full knowledge and understanding. For communication apps, Apple adds, it can also compromise the privacy of the people users are talking to.
Apple says it will introduce additional controls so that users who genuinely want to give an app this level of access can only do so with "very explicit user action." Apple says it wants users to clearly understand the risks before they grant the permission, so they can make informed decisions about their data.
Apple did not name any app or developer. Its post comes after public debate over Meta's Muse agent for the Mac, which began when a tech columnist said Muse referred to one of his Messages threads even though he had not given it permission to read his messages. Meta's chief technology officer has said Muse can read Messages content only if macOS Full Disk Access is granted and its Messages connector is turned on.
Apple has not said when the new controls will arrive or which macOS version will get them. It also has not said what the controls will look like or whether apps that already hold the permission will have to ask again.