Apple targets broad Mac access as AI agent risks grow

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Apple to tighten Full Disk Access rules for Mac apps

Apple is preparing to make it harder for applications to obtain Full Disk Access on macOS, citing growing privacy and security concerns as increasingly capable AI agents gain access to users’ files, messages and other sensitive information.

In an October 2 developer announcement, Apple said some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk by exposing files, email, messages and browsing history without users fully understanding the implications.

The company said it will introduce additional controls requiring users to take more explicit action before granting an app what it described as an “extraordinary level of access.”

Apple said the risks associated with broad system access are becoming more significant as AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous.

Unlike conventional applications, AI agents can perform multi-step tasks, interact with files and use connected tools with limited user intervention. Apple said this makes it particularly important for users to understand what they are allowing an application to access before granting system-level permissions.

The company also highlighted the privacy implications for communication applications. Access to messages and other communications can expose not only the user’s information but also private information belonging to people they communicate with.

Full Disk Access largely bypasses macOS’s normal privacy controls and is intended to support applications such as backup tools that need broad access to a Mac’s storage.

Apple said some developers are using the permission in ways that could expose large amounts of information, including files, mail, messages and browsing history.

The forthcoming changes are intended to ensure that users who genuinely want to grant this level of access make a more deliberate choice.

Apple has not yet disclosed exactly what the new controls will look like or when they will be introduced.

Apple’s announcement comes amid reports about AI applications accessing sensitive information on computers.

An investigation cited by Neowin and other reports alleged that Meta’s Muse could read private messages on Macs when users had granted Full Disk Access and enabled its Messages integration. Meta executive David Singleton said the feature is opt-in and requires multiple permissions, including Full Disk Access, before Muse can access Messages content.

The reports have raised broader questions about how much access users should give autonomous AI agents.

Apple did not specifically mention Meta’s Muse in its announcement, nor did it identify any particular application as prompting the change. The company instead framed the move as a broader response to the growing capabilities of AI agents and the risks associated with unrestricted system access.

Apple has been expanding support for agentic AI across macOS. At WWDC 2026, the company demonstrated a security approach in which the system can mediate an AI agent’s file access and apply policies to what the agent is allowed to read or modify.

Apple has also introduced tools for running agentic AI workflows locally on Macs, highlighting privacy and on-device processing as part of its approach to AI.

The Full Disk Access changes suggest Apple is now looking beyond individual AI frameworks and focusing on the operating-system permissions that give agents access to users’ broader digital environments.

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