Apple Announces 'Full Disk Access' Changes on macOS Due to AI Agents

In a post on its developer news website today, Apple announced that it will be introducing "additional controls" for the "Full Disk Access" setting on macOS due to new risks posed by AI agents. This announcement comes amid the rise of always-on AI agents like Meta's Muse and OpenAI's Dots, which have prompted privacy concerns.

"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," said Apple.

"As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially," it added.

Here is the full text of Apple's announcement:

We give developers powerful APIs to build incredible capabilities into their apps for Apple products, backed by a set of controls designed to protect users' private data. Full Disk Access largely sidesteps these controls in order to allow backup apps to function properly on the Mac. 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. For communication apps, this can also compromise the privacy of the people users are communicating with.

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. Addressing this is critical. As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially. 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.

Apple did not say when the new "Full Disk Access" controls will be implemented.