Apple says it’s tightening macOS privacy controls amid the rise of AI agents

Apple announced on its Developer website that it will introduce additional macOS controls requiring "very explicit user action" before an app can be granted Full Disk Access, citing developers who use the permission in ways that expose files, mail, messages and browsing history without users' full knowledge. Apple said the change is critical because "as AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially," though it has not detailed the specific controls or a release date. The announcement follows the growing popularity of always-on AI agents such as Meta Muse and OpenAI's Dots, which request substantial access to personal data.

Amid the rapid rise in AI agents requesting “Full Disk Access” to your Mac, Apple says it is making changes to macOS to protect user privacy. While the company hasn’t shared specifics, Apple says users should understand what it means to give an app such “extraordinary” access to their Mac. In a blog post on its Developer website https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=p6zjojqw , Apple explains that the Full Disk Access permission in macOS is meant to “allow backup apps to function properly on the Mac.” However, Apple says that “some developers” are using the Full Disk Access setting in macOS in “ways that could put users at risk.” “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.” In response, Apple says it 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.” The company hasn’t shared any additional details about these additional controls and what changes it has planned. Nonetheless, it says that the rise of “increasingly capable and autonomous” AI agents necessitates a greater focus on privacy and security: “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’s announcement today comes amid the increasing popularity https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/30/report-metas-muse-crosses-5-million-downloads-amid-massive-advertising-push/ of tools like Meta Muse and OpenAI’s Dots https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/29/openai-teases-20-announcements-at-devday-watch-live/ . These are always-on AI agents that request substantial access to your personal data, and we’ve already seen some horror stories https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/28/yeah-dont-give-metas-muse-app-access-to-your-mac/ about Meta Muse in particular. Chance’s favorites: Follow Chance : Threads https://www.threads.com/@chancehmiller , X http://x.com/chancehmiller , and Instagram http://instagram.com/chancehmiller FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5mac.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on exclusive stories https://9to5mac.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5mac.com/guides/review/ , how-tos https://9to5mac.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5mac