Apple is preparing additional controls for Full Disk Access in macOS, aiming to make the risks clearer before users grant an app broad access to data stored on their Macs. The change is particularly relevant for AI agents, which can act across multiple services once given system-level permissions.
Apple highlighted the privacy implications for communications software: access to those apps can affect not only the Mac owner’s information, but also the privacy of people they correspond with. The company has not detailed how the new protections will work or said when they will arrive.
The move follows scrutiny of Meta’s Muse AI agent, which can read private conversations in Apple’s ecosystem if it receives the required permissions. Meta Superintelligence Labs representative David Singleton said the Messages integration in Muse for Mac is optional. Access requires users to enable a dedicated connector and approve Full Disk Access as part of a three-stage authorization process.
Separately, Wired reported that a vulnerability in the ChatGPT app for Mac could have allowed attackers to extract sensitive information. Apple did not name either Muse or ChatGPT in its developer announcement, leaving the scope and rollout schedule of its planned Full Disk Access changes unconfirmed.
