Apple says it’s tightening macOS ‘Full Disk Access’ controls due to new risks from AI agents
Apple announced it is introducing additional controls around a macOS setting called Full Disk Access, saying AI agents have increased the risks tied to this level of access. The feature was originally designed to allow backups to function properly, Apple said.
The announcement came days after Inc. columnist Jason Aten reported that Meta's Muse app on Mac knew the content of his private messages even though he claimed he had not given the AI agent permission. Meta disputed the claim, according to the report. The report raised questions about the level of security and trust users have in desktop-based AI, which can control things on their systems and read their files and messages.
The decision also follows a Wired report cited by TechCrunch that a flaw in ChatGPT's Mac app could have allowed hackers to access sensitive data.
AI agents running on the desktop let users give their apps greater access to files, messages, and other personal content by adjusting macOS settings. In Muse's case, the AI optionally allows users to enable Full Disk Access, a setting Apple says gives an app permission to access files, mail, messages, and browsing history.
"Some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk, exposing everything on their systems...without users' full knowledge and understanding," Apple said in a blog post aimed at developers.
Apple said it will introduce new controls so that users who "genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access" can do so only with "very explicit user action."
"Addressing this is critical. As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially. We are committed to ensuring users clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy," Apple wrote.
Apple did not respond to TechCrunch's inquiry about the feature change.
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Publisher excerpt
Apple says it will add new controls around macOS’s Full Disk Access permission, warning that increasingly capable AI agents make broad access to users’ files, messages, mail, and browsing history riskier.