Apple to Tighten Mac Full Disk Access After AI Agent Privacy Row
Apple will add clearer prompts before apps get Full Disk Access on Mac, after reports that AI agents like Meta's Muse accessed private messages. What it means for users.
Key Highlights
- Apple's move: Apple will require clearer, more deliberate user approval before apps can get Full Disk Access on Mac.
- The trigger: AI agent apps, including Meta's Muse, raised concerns after accessing users' private data.
- The core problem: Full Disk Access was meant for backup tools but largely bypasses Apple's usual privacy controls.
- Wider risk: Apple warned that risks will grow as AI agents become more capable and autonomous.
Apple has said it will tighten controls around Full Disk Access on Mac computers, after a wave of AI agent apps raised concerns by reaching into users' private data.
Full Disk Access is a powerful permission that lets an app read almost everything on a Mac, from files to messages. It was originally designed for backup and system utilities. Apple said it will now introduce more explicit prompts, so users must take a clear, deliberate action before granting it, and will be asked specifically which parts of their system an app can access.
What Apple Said
"We give developers powerful APIs to build incredible capabilities into their apps for Apple products, backed by a set of controls designed to protect users' private data. Full Disk Access largely sidesteps these controls in order to allow backup apps to function properly on the Mac," Apple said.
