Apple to tighten Mac data access rules as AI agent concerns grow

MUMBAI: Apple is planning to tighten controls around how applications access data on Macs, with the company specifically flagging the growing risks posed by increasingly capable AI agents.

The move will make it more obvious when an AI agent or other application seeks access to a Mac’s entire data set through the operating system’s Full Disk Access feature.

Apple said some developers are currently using the feature in ways that could expose users to privacy risks. Full Disk Access allows applications to access data across a Mac, including files, emails, messages and browsing history, when users grant the required permission.

“Going forward, we will introduce additional controls to ensure that users who genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access can only do so with very explicit user action,” Apple said in an update on its developer website.

The company said the issue was becoming more important as AI agents gain greater autonomy and the ability to perform complex tasks on behalf of users.

“As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially,” Apple said, adding that it wants users to understand the implications before granting access to their data.

Apple’s announcement comes amid criticism surrounding Meta’s AI agent Muse, which can perform tasks such as managing subscriptions and negotiating prices on behalf of users.

Technology columnist Jason Aten of Inc accused Muse of accessing private messages on his Mac despite his claim that he had not enabled Full Disk Access. Aten said he had specifically chosen not to give the agent access to his messages, calendar and other personal information.

Meta disputed the claim.

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said Muse’s access to Apple’s Messages app is strictly opt-in and requires users to enable both Full Disk Access and the Messages connector.

Stone said the agent cannot access Messages content without those permissions and that users can revoke the access at any time.

Another user, YouTuber Matt Robb, has also said Muse mishandled a Facebook Marketplace task, resulting in his address being shared.

Apple’s approach to data access differs between its Mac computers and iPhones and iPads.

On iOS and iPadOS, apps are generally sandboxed, meaning one app cannot access another app’s data by default. macOS, meanwhile, provides greater flexibility for applications that need broad system access, particularly tools such as cloud backup services.

Full Disk Access was designed to support such use cases, but Apple said some implementations could expose sensitive information without users fully understanding the extent of access being granted.

The company said communication applications present an additional privacy concern because broad access can potentially expose information belonging not only to the user but also to people communicating with them.

Apple’s planned changes are therefore aimed at making the permission process more explicit, particularly as AI agents increasingly interact with multiple applications and handle sensitive information on users’ behalf.