Apple will limit Mac disk access as AI agents ‘substantially’ increase risk
The Verge Emma Roth ● Covered by 2 sources
Apple is adding tighter Mac disk-access controls because AI agents raise the risk. The bar’s going up for apps that want deep access to a user’s files.
Based on reporting by The Verge, Emma Roth — read the original for the full story.
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Apple is tightening Mac permissions for “full disk access” because AI agents can make that kind of access more dangerous. The company says it wants to make sure only people who really mean to hand over that level of control can do it, and only after a very explicit action.
The change arrives after TechCrunch reported on the update and just weeks after Inc’s Jason Aten said Meta’s Muse AI appeared to know the contents of his messages. He said that happened even though he had not given the chatbot explicit permission to read them on his iPhone or Mac.
Meta’s Andy Stone disputed that account, saying access to Messages is “entirely opt-in.” But Apple’s move shows where the pressure is heading: once AI agents can act across apps and data, the old permission model starts looking a lot softer than it used to.
This is Apple doing what Apple does best — taking a messy, user-hostile problem and adding friction until it at least looks contained. AI companies keep selling assistants as helpful little operators; the security model keeps hearing “creepy little intern” and getting nervous.
My take — AI-written commentary, not fact-checked reporting
Apple is right to make this painful. The industry keeps treating AI agents like cute productivity helpers, then acts shocked when they wander into places they shouldn’t. If an app wants full disk access, it should have to sweat for it.
Read more about this at: The Verge