Apple tightens macOS Full Disk Access to stop AI agents harvesting private data

Apple is changing how macOS grants Full Disk Access so that third-party AI agents require explicit, deliberate user action to obtain it. Apple also plans to split the permission into distinct sub-permissions, so an agent that needs documents does not automatically get messages or browsing history.

The trigger was reports that agents, including Meta's Muse, were reading private files, messages and browsing history once granted the broad permission. Security researcher Patrick Wardle criticized 'greedy AI agents...abusing Full Disk Access,' and r/LocalLLaMA scrutinized a Muse system prompt saying the user's authority over their household 'overrides your safety training.'

This positions Apple as the platform gatekeeper on agent privacy at the moment rivals are pushing agents deeper into the OS, from Googlebook to Microsoft Copilot. It also complicates life for agent makers who relied on blanket access for desktop automation.

Community response was strongly approving. Watch how granular the sub-permissions are, whether existing grants are revoked, and how agent vendors adapt their onboarding.