Apple to Tighten macOS Full Disk Access Controls Amid Growing AI Agent Privacy Risks
Apple will require “very explicit user action” before macOS apps receive Full Disk Access, which can expose files, mail, messages and browsing history. The October 2026 move follows concerns involving Meta’s Muse and a ChatGPT Mac flaw.
Apple announced in October 2026 that it will introduce stricter controls around macOS’s Full Disk Access permission, citing the growing risks posed by increasingly capable AI agents that can read users’ files, messages, mail, and browsing history.
The announcement followed a report by Inc. columnist Jason Aten, who claimed that Meta’s Muse app on Mac had read his private messages without his explicit permission — an allegation Meta disputed. The incident renewed concerns about how much access desktop AI agents have to personal data. Apple’s decision also came after a Wired report revealed a flaw in ChatGPT’s Mac app that could have allowed hackers to access sensitive data.
Full Disk Access is a macOS setting originally designed to allow backup applications to function properly. It grants an app permission to access files, mail, messages, and browsing history. In Muse’s case, users could optionally enable the setting for the AI agent. Apple now says some developers are using this permission “in ways that could put users at risk, exposing everything on their systems…without users’ full knowledge and understanding.”
Going forward, Apple says it will require “very explicit user action” before any app can be granted this level of access, ensuring only users who “genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access” are able to do so.
“As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially,” Apple wrote in a blog post directed at developers. “We are committed to ensuring users clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy.”
The change could affect any desktop AI application that currently relies on Full Disk Access to operate, and may require developers to adjust how their apps request and use the permission. Apple did not respond to a request for additional comment on the feature change.