Apple changes full-disk access permissions to curb abuse from AI agents
Apple says it is changing its macOS privacy settings to stop third-party app developers from misusing them to access message histories. Friday's announcement comes two weeks after tech columnist Jason Aten said that Meta’s new general-purpose AI agent Muse sent him an unsolicited notification referencing a thread between him and a co-worker over Apple Messages. Aten said he never granted Muse permissions to read his messages and had assumed they were off-limits. Social media last week blew up wi
Get smart on it
Apple is changing macOS privacy settings after concerns emerged that AI agents were accessing sensitive user data like messages and browsing history through a system permission called full-disk access. A tech columnist reported that an AI agent sent him a notification referencing his private messages despite him not granting it permission to read them, sparking widespread social media discussion about the risks of giving AI assistants broad access to personal files. Apple stated that developers are misusing full-disk access in ways that expose users' files, mail, messages, and browsing history without their full understanding, and that the risks will grow as AI agents become more capable and autonomous. The timing of Apple's announcement suggests it was responding to this incident, though the company did not name the specific AI agent or developer involved.
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