Apple plans to add stricter safeguards around how apps get broad access to data on Macs, citing the growing risks from increasingly autonomous AI agents.
The change targets Full Disk Access, the macOS permission that lets an app reach files, emails, messages and browsing history across a Mac. Apple said some developers use the feature in ways that could put user privacy at risk. It plans to make the permission harder to grant by accident, so users can give it only through a very explicit action.
In an update on its developer website, Apple warned that the risks of such access will grow substantially as AI agents become more capable and independent. It also flagged communication apps as a particular concern, because broad access can expose the data of the people a user talks to, not just the user's own.
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The announcement comes amid scrutiny of Meta's AI agent Muse, which handles tasks such as managing subscriptions and negotiating prices. Inc columnist Jason Aten alleged that Muse accessed his private messages on a Mac even though he said he had not enabled Full Disk Access. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone disputed this, saying Muse's access to Messages is strictly opt-in, needs both Full Disk Access and the Messages connector, and can be revoked at any time. YouTuber Matt Robb separately said Muse mishandled a Facebook Marketplace task and shared his address.
On iPhones and iPads, apps are sandboxed by default, so one app can't read another's data. macOS allows broader access for tools such as cloud backup services, which is why Full Disk Access exists.
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