Apple says it will flag AI requests for Mac data

Apple ⁠plans to change its Mac operating system to make it more obvious when AI agents ask to access all of the data on Macs.

Some users have criticised Meta’s Muse, an ‌AI agent capable of carrying out complex tasks ‌like ‌canceling unused subscriptions or haggling for better ‌prices.

These people claimed the agent accessed ⁠what users believed to be private messages.

On Apple’s iPhones and iPads, no single app can access data inside another app by default, a technique called sandboxing.

But Apple’s Macs are more flexible, ​with a “Full Disk Access” option that allows apps such as cloud backup services to access all the data ⁠on a machine, with a user’s permission.

Apple said some developers were using the Full Disk Access feature in ways that could put users at risk.

“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,” Apple wrote in a post.

“As AI agents ​become increasingly capable and autonomous, the risks ⁠associated with this level of access will ⁠grow substantially.

“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.”

Apple’s ⁠move comes after Inc magazine technology columnist Jason Aten accused Meta’s Muse of reading private messages on his Mac. He said he had not enabled Full Disk Access.

Meta ‌spokesperson Andy Stone pushed back against those claims last week, saying Muse’s access to Apple’s Messages app is strictly opt-in. 

“You have to enable both Full Disk Access and the Messages connector for ​Muse to be able to read your Messages content,” Stone wrote on social media platform X.

“It can’t read your Messages unless you do this. And it can be ‌revoked at ⁠any time.”

Apple declined to ​comment beyond its post. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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