Apple announced that it will tighten controls on the Full Disk Access feature in macOS, warning that artificial intelligence agents capable of operating with a higher degree of autonomy have made granting applications broad access to user data more dangerous.
This permission allows an application to access a wide range of content on the device, including files, email, messages, and even browsing history. The feature was originally designed to help backup applications work properly, but Apple said that some developers use it in ways that could put users at risk, particularly when they do not fully realize the extent of the data the application has become capable of reading.
What will Apple change?
The company said in a post directed at developers that it will introduce additional controls to ensure that a user who genuinely wishes to grant an application this exceptional permission can do so only after a very clear and explicit action. Apple did not specify the final design details of these controls or when they would be implemented, and it did not respond to TechCrunch’s inquiry about the change.
The announcement follows reports that raised questions about artificial intelligence applications running on Mac devices accessing private content. A writer at Inc. said that Meta’s Muse application knew the contents of his private messages despite his claim that he had not given the artificial intelligence agent permission to do so, while Meta denied the claim. Wired also pointed to a flaw in the Mac version of ChatGPT that could have allowed hackers to access sensitive data.
Why does this news matter?
The move reveals a problem that extends beyond any particular application: desktop artificial intelligence agents sometimes need broad permissions to read files or carry out actions on behalf of the user, but broader permissions also increase the impact of any misunderstanding, malfunction, or security exploit. According to Apple, the growth of these agents’ capabilities and autonomy will increase the risks associated with granting them comprehensive access.
In practice, the change will matter to users of backup applications, artificial intelligence tools, and applications that rely on reading device content, while also forcing developers to make permission requests clearer to users. However, based on the information available, it does not mean eliminating Full Disk Access or specifying which applications will be affected; rather, it means reorganizing how users approve this level of access.
Important questions remain open, most notably the nature of the new procedures and whether they will include additional technical restrictions on applications or be limited to improving the approval and warning experience. Therefore, the actual impact on applications will not become clear before Apple announces the implementation details.