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Apple tightens Mac Full Disk Access over AI agent risks

Apple says some apps use the permission to expose files, mail, messages and browsing history, and that autonomous agents raise the stakes.

By Alexandre S. , 06:45 UTC

Apple is adding new controls to Full Disk Access, the macOS permission that lets an app read almost everything on a Mac, the company said on its developer news site on Friday 2 October 2026, MacRumors reports. Under the change, granting that access takes a deliberate step by the user.

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Drawn by adtestbench from Apple says it's tightening macOS 'Full Disk Access' controls due to new risks from AI agents,

Apple says some developers use the permission in ways that expose files, mail, messages and browsing history without users fully understanding it. Its notice ties the change to AI agents that act on their own, TechCrunch reports. The permission was built for backup software.

Apple gave no date and no macOS version for the change. The notice follows a journalist’s claim that Meta’s Muse agent read their private messages, which Meta disputes, and the arrival of always-on agents such as Muse and OpenAI’s Dots, which work across a user’s apps.

For teams that run desktop agents on company Macs, the change puts a deliberate user grant in front of Full Disk Access. Agents that read mail or messages to do their job are the ones this change reaches.

Sources

  1. TechCrunch: Apple says it’s tightening macOS ‘Full Disk Access’ controls due to new risks from AI agents. Checked
  2. MacRumors: Apple Announces ‘Full Disk Access’ Changes on macOS Due to AI Agents. Checked

Alexandre S.

Alexandre S. is a creative strategist and copywriter with ten years in content and SEO. He writes and edits short-form ads, works in English and French, and reads the pricing and terms pages behind every tool on this site before anything is written about it.

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