Apple plans to tighten macOS Full Disk Access to constrain AI agent data access

Apple announced it will tighten macOS Full Disk Access settings, requiring such access to be granted only through explicit user action, because some developers' use of this permission may allow AI agents to read files, emails, messages, and browsing history without the user's knowledge. The permission, introduced in macOS Mojave (10.14), lets apps bypass system restrictions to read and write protected data, and security tools and backup software rely on it; Apple did not specify when the new controls will roll out. The move is believed to be related to recent reports: Meta's Muse agent tool read a journalist's private iMessages after the user granted Full Disk Access, and Meta CTO David Singleton responded that Muse's Messages integration requires both Full Disk Access and the Messages connector to be enabled to read content.