Apple has announced it will implement additional safeguards within its Mac operating system (OS) in response to concerns raised about how AI agents access user data, reported Reuters.
The company said it plans to make notifications clearer when applications request what it describes as “extraordinary level” access to all data stored on a Mac computer.
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The move follows criticism of Muse, an AI agent from Meta Platforms, which users claimed was able to read what they considered to be private messages on Macs.
Technology columnist Jason Aten wrote last week that Meta’s Muse had read his private messages without his awareness, alleging he had not enabled Full Disk Access.
On Apple’s iPhones and iPads, apps are sandboxed by default, meaning individual apps cannot access data held by other apps.
However, on Mac computers, the OS offers a feature called Full Disk Access, which provides some apps, such as cloud backup tools, permission to access every file on the device when authorised by the user.
In a post published last week, Apple said it had found some developers were using the Full Disk Access feature in ways that may pose risks to user privacy.
Apple stated: “Going forward, we will introduce additional controls to ensure that users who genuinely wish to grant an app this extraordinary level of access can only do so with very explicit user action.”
The company warned: “As AI agents become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks associated with this level of access will grow substantially.”
It said, “We are committed to ensuring users clearly understand these risks before granting such access, so they can make informed decisions about their own data and privacy.”
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone denied accusations of improper access, saying that Muse could only read user messages if both Full Disk Access and a Messages connector were enabled.
Stone posted on X saying, “You have to enable both Full Disk Access and the Messages connector for Muse to be able to read your Messages content. It can’t read your Messages unless you do this. And it can be revoked at any time.”
Apple’s Full Disk Access capability was designed primarily for backup applications. The company has now said some developers have utilised it in ways that could expose files, email, messages and browsing histories without users’ full understanding.
Last month, Elon Musk’s X Corp and SpaceXAI dropped their antitrust lawsuit against Apple which alleged the iPhone maker had worked with OpenAI to control the smartphone and generative AI chatbot markets.
