Apple changes full-disk access permissions to curb abuse from AI agents
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Apple is modifying macOS privacy settings to prevent third-party applications from misusing Full Disk Access (FDA) permissions to read user messages and other sensitive data. This announcement follows a controversy where tech columnist Jason Aten discovered that Meta’s AI agent, Muse, had accessed his Apple Messages without explicit consent. While Meta CTO David Singleton argued that users must manually enable both FDA and a specific Messages connector for such access, security experts like Patrick Wardle disputed this claim. Wardle noted that FDA inherently allows reading all non-root files, including chats and browsing history, regardless of app-specific connectors. Apple stated that developers are exploiting FDA in ways that risk exposing user data without full understanding, a concern amplified by the rise of autonomous AI agents. The timing of Apple's policy change coincides with recent disclosures about Muse's vulnerabilities and Amazon's decision to block the app from its platform. Consequently, the incident highlights significant privacy risks associated with granting broad system-level access to AI assistants.
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