Technology and Science02 October, 20262 min read
Apple Tightens macOS Full Disk Access To Stop AI Agents From Abusing Message Logs
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Apple tightens macOS Full Disk Access controls to curb AI agent data access. Additional safeguards require explicit user action to grant Full Disk Access.
Apple tightens Full Disk
Apple announced substantial changes to macOS privacy settings aimed at preventing third-party app developers from abusing data access permissions, especially message logs. Apple said it would introduce additional controls so that users who genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access can only do so with very explicit user action.
Apple framed the move as a response to AI agents becoming increasingly capable and autonomous, with the risks associated with this level of access growing substantially. Apple’s developer guidance described Full Disk Access as a permission that largely sidesteps controls designed to protect users’ private data in order to allow backup apps to function properly on the Mac.
Muse dispute and consent
Jason Aten said Meta’s Muse sent him an unexpected notification referencing a conversation with a colleague via Apple’s Messages app, despite his claim that he had granted Muse no permissions to read his messages. Meta CTO David Singleton argued that the Messages integration in the Muse Mac app is opt in, and that Muse can only read Messages content if macOS system-level Full Disk Access is granted and the Messages connector is enabled.
Patrick Wardle questioned Singleton’s denial by saying, "From a technical point of view, with FDA (full-disk access), any (non-root file), is readable, browsing history, browser cookies, chats, etc etc etc." Meta PR’s response to the question about how Muse couldn’t read messages was to requote Singleton’s statement that the Messages integration is opt in and that the Messages connector must be enabled.
What changes, what’s at risk
Apple warned that some developers are using Full Disk Access in ways that could put users at risk, exposing everything on their systems, including files, mail, messages, and even browsing history, without users’ full knowledge and understanding. Apple said that for communication apps, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users are communicating with.
Apple’s announcement tied the permission model problem to AI agents that can interact with the operating system, open applications, consult documents, and perform actions following natural language instructions. Apple’s guidance also pointed to the need for users to understand what they are signing up for before granting an app extraordinary access, because the risks associated with that level of access will grow substantially as agents become more capable and autonomous.