Credit: Jaime Marrero on Unsplash
Apple will add new controls to Full Disk Access on the Mac. Users will only be able to give an app that level of access “with very explicit user action”. The company announced the change on its developer news site on Friday and said AI agents were the reason.
“As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially,” Apple wrote.
Apple said Full Disk Access largely sidesteps the privacy controls on its platforms so that backup apps can work. Some developers are using it in ways that expose files, mail, messages and browsing history, the company said. Users do not always fully know or understand this, according to Apple. For communication apps, it added, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users talk to.
Apple did not say when the new controls will arrive or how they will work. It did not name any app or developer.
What the setting unlocks
The setting sits under Privacy & Security in System Settings, Apple’s support guide shows. Mac security researcher Patrick Wardle described its reach to Dan Goodin of Ars Technica.
“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,” Wardle told Ars Technica.
Agents on the Mac
Apple’s post came days after an Inc. columnist said Meta’s Muse knew the contents of his messages. Meta has denied it. Amazon had already blocked Muse from its platform in September.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.
Also tagged with
