Apple will update Macs to protect users from AI agents with full disk access

Apple has just been forced to respond to the flurry of AI agent apps, like Meta's Muse, which are accessing Mac users' private data.

According to Apple, the company will soon release additional controls to "Full Disk Access," which will explicitly ask Mac users if they'd like to grant a third-party access to a specific part of their system. With Full Disk Access, AI agents can complete a much wider range of tasks for users, but these users may not understand the cybersecurity risks of agentic AI.

Apple says it is specifically doing this due to the rise of AI agents like Muse, which recently surpassed 5 million downloads, and the risks associated with handing over full access to a user's full private data.

When a Mac user downloads a third-party app, some apps require the ability to access specific functionality on their computer. Apple requires that these apps ask a user to access that functionality. For example, a third-party webcam app is forced by Apple to ask the user for permission to access the Mac's camera and audio devices. A user must grant that access before an app can use that Mac function.

Some apps, like a backup app, for example, require access to the entire Mac system. In order to cover all of these functions in one swoop, from email to messages to file systems, Apple allows apps to request "Full Disk Access."