Apple to Tighten macOS Full Disk Access Controls as AI Agents Raise Data Risks

SentiSense · Published Oct 2, 2026, 2:34 PM ET · Updated Oct 3, 2026, 12:14 PM ET

Apple said on October 2 that it will add controls to the macOS Full Disk Access permission so that users can only grant it through very explicit action, citing the growing risk from increasingly autonomous AI agents. The permission was built for backup apps and exposes files, mail, messages and browsing history. Apple has not said how the controls will work or when they will ship. The move follows a disputed report that Meta's Muse agent read a columnist's Messages history on his Mac.

Apple (AAPL) said on Friday, October 2, that it will tighten the Full Disk Access permission on the Mac as AI agents increasingly ask for it. In a post on its developer website, Apple said the setting "largely sidesteps" macOS privacy controls so that backup apps can work, and that some developers are using it in ways that expose files, mail, messages and browsing history "without users' full knowledge and understanding". Going forward, users who want to grant that level of access will only be able to do so "with very explicit user action," because "as AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially".

Apple's post does not name any app, but coverage tied it to always-on agents such as Meta (META)'s Muse and OpenAI's Dots, which typically request Full Disk Access during setup. Mashable linked the move to Muse's rapid adoption, noting the app recently passed 5 million downloads. AppleInsider also pointed to OpenAI fixing a bug in its Mac app that could have let its agent be hijacked to run malicious commands.

The immediate trigger was a dispute over Muse. Inc. columnist Jason Aten said Muse had synced his local Messages database and used it as context even though he declined Messages access. Meta pushed back, with spokesperson Andy Stone saying Messages access is "entirely opt-in" and that Muse cannot read messages if a user declined. Apple warned that for communication apps, broad access can also compromise the privacy of the people users talk to.

Details are still thin. 9to5Mac and Cult of Mac report that Apple has not said how the new controls will work or when they will arrive, while Mashable describes prompts that ask users to grant access to a specific part of the system. Cult of Mac expects the change in macOS 27.1 or 27.2. Key things to watch are the shape of the new consent flow, how agent developers such as Meta and OpenAI adapt their Mac setup, and whether the change slows agent onboarding on macOS.

Related Stocks

META