Apple Tightens Mac Controls as AI Agents Raise New Privacy Concerns
Updated: 15 minutes ago
Apple is adding clearer warnings to macOS when AI agents request broad access to a user’s files and data, following complaints over how Meta’s Muse agent interacted with private information on Macs.
Image: Tech360TV (AI-generated illustration)
The change is aimed at making Full Disk Access requests easier to understand before users approve them. Unlike iPhones and iPads, Macs give applications more flexibility to access files when permission is granted, which has become a bigger concern as AI agents gain the ability to act on a user’s behalf.
The issue came under scrutiny after a technology journalist said Meta’s Muse had read private messages on a Mac without sufficiently clear consent. Meta disputed that characterisation and said the agent only accessed information through permissions enabled by the user.
Apple said future macOS updates will make these requests more explicit so users can see when an AI tool is seeking access to large amounts of personal data. The company is also tightening controls around how such permissions are presented and confirmed.
The move reflects a broader challenge for desktop operating systems as autonomous AI agents become more capable. Features designed to let trusted apps work across a computer can also give AI tools access to sensitive messages, documents and other personal information if permissions are not carefully managed.
