San Francisco: Apple plans to introduce additional controls for Mac computers that will require users to take more explicit action before allowing applications broad access to personal data.
The planned changes concern a macOS permission called Full Disk Access. Apple said the permission can allow applications to access files, mail, messages and browsing history. It was designed to support legitimate uses such as backup software, but Apple said some developers are using it in ways that could put users at risk.
Apple said the risks associated with broad access to personal data are expected to grow as artificial intelligence agents become more capable and autonomous. The company said users will need to give very clear consent before granting applications this level of access.
Apple did not name Meta or its Muse AI agent in the announcement. It also did not say that Muse had violated Apple's security protections. The announcement came amid a dispute over claims that Muse accessed private messages on a Mac without the user's permission.
The dispute followed a report by technology columnist Jason Aten, who said Muse referred to information from his private conversations in Apple Messages. Aten said he had not knowingly given Muse permission to access his messages and questioned how the system obtained the information.
Meta has disputed the claim that Muse accessed the messages without the required permissions. Meta vice president of communications Andy Stone said the Messages feature in the Mac version of Muse is optional and requires users to enable both Full Disk Access in macOS and a separate Messages connector within Muse.
Meta Superintelligence Labs executive David Singleton also disputed Aten's account and the explanation reportedly given by Muse about how it obtained the information.
The available reports do not independently establish whether Muse accessed the messages without the permissions that Meta says are required. Apple has not said that Muse bypassed its security protections or that the new controls were introduced specifically because of the incident.
Apple's announcement instead points to a broader concern about the changing nature of computer software. Applications with broad access to a computer's data can present greater risks when they are combined with AI agents that can analyse information and perform tasks on a user's behalf.
Mac computers allow applications broader access to system data than Apple's iPhone and iPad platforms. On iPhones and iPads, applications are generally separated through a system known as sandboxing, which restricts one application from accessing another application's data by default.
Full Disk Access provides a much broader permission on Macs. Apple says it can allow applications to access information such as files, mail, messages and browsing history that would otherwise be protected by macOS privacy controls.
Meta introduced Muse on September 8 as a personal AI agent designed to carry out tasks for users. Unlike a conventional chatbot that mainly responds to questions, Muse is designed to perform actions and work with information from connected services.
The controversy surrounding Muse has raised wider questions about how AI agents should handle sensitive information and how users should control the data available to such systems.
Apple has not yet provided a date for the new Full Disk Access controls. The company has also not explained in detail how the new system will work or whether additional confirmation will be required for every application seeking the permission.
For now, the confirmed development is that Apple plans to strengthen user controls around one of the most powerful privacy permissions on macOS. The separate dispute involving Muse remains unresolved, with Aten questioning how the agent obtained information from private messages and Meta saying that the necessary permissions must be enabled for such access.
The development reflects a growing challenge for technology companies as AI agents become more independent. Giving an AI system access to email, messages, files and browsing information can allow it to perform more useful tasks, but it can also increase the consequences of mistakes, unclear permissions or unexpected access to personal information.