Apple Says It’s Strengthening macOS’s Full Disk Access Controls Due to New AI Agent Risks

Days after a journalist claimed that Meta’s Muse app on Mac was reading their private messages – a claim Meta disputed – Apple announced the introduction of additional controls around a setting called “Full Disk Access” on macOS. The feature was designed to allow backups to function properly, but AI agents have now increased “the risks associated with this level of access,” Apple said.

Apple’s statement comes shortly after Inc. columnist Jason Aten reported that Muse knew the contents of his private messages, although he claimed he did not give the AI ​​agent permission. The report raises questions about the level of security and trust users have in computer-based AI, which can control things on their systems and read their files and messages.

The decision to limit Mac functionality also comes after a report from Wired cited that a flaw in ChatGPT’s Mac app could have allowed hackers to access sensitive data.

AI agents that run on the desktop allow users to provide their respective applications with better access to files, messages, and other personal content on their computers by adjusting macOS settings.

In the case of Muse, the AI ​​optionally allows users to enable full disk access. This setting, Apple explains, allows an app to access files, mail, messages and even browsing history.

“Some developers are using full disk access in a way that could put users at risk, by exposing everything on their systems… without users’ knowledge and knowledge,” Apple said in a new developer blog post.

The company says that in the future it will introduce new controls aimed at ensuring that users who “really want to grant an app this extraordinary level of access” can only do so with “very explicit user action.”

“Addressing this issue is critical. As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will increase significantly. We are committed to ensuring that users clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so that they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy,” Apple wrote.

Apple did not respond to TechCrunch’s inquiry regarding the feature change.