Apple adds stricter macOS Full Disk Access controls amid AI privacy concerns

Apple said it will tighten controls around macOS’s Full Disk Access feature, which grants apps deep access to a computer’s data. The move comes after a journalist alleged that Meta’s Muse AI read his private messages on a Mac, a claim the company disputed, and after a report of a vulnerability in the ChatGPT Mac client that could let attackers retrieve sensitive information. Full Disk Access was originally intended to enable reliable backups, but Apple warns that some developers are using it in ways that could expose everything on a system without users fully understanding the risk.

In a new blog post for developers, Apple pledged to require “very explicit user action” before an app can obtain this level of permission. The company emphasized that as AI agents become more capable and autonomous, the associated privacy risks will grow, and users must be clearly informed before granting such access.