Full Disk Access

Apple has published an announcement describing changes to the Full Disk Access privacy feature in macOS. The update alters how apps request and receive access to sensitive user data such as Mail, Messages and Safari data. Developers are discussing the implications on Hacker News, with particular interest in how the changes will affect existing apps and their permission workflows.

Apple says it will add new controls around macOS's Full Disk Access permission, warning that increasingly capable AI agents make broad access to users' files, messages, mail, and browsing history riskier. The move signals Apple is adapting its privacy model to autonomous software that can act on a user's behalf. Discussion is focusing on how the company will balance AI agent functionality with tighter security.

Apple is revamping macOS's Full Disk Access permission model in response to the rise of AI agents. The new approach is designed to stop agentic apps from demanding broad, persistent access to sensitive data such as local files, Mail stores, iMessage databases and browser histories. Observers see it as a direct acknowledgement that AI software is reshaping what desktop security rules must protect against.

Apple has announced changes to how Full Disk Access permissions work on macOS, citing the rise of AI agents that need to interact with user files. The move is expected to reshape how third-party apps request broad disk access, a long-standing pain point for developers and security-conscious users. Details on timing and implementation have not yet been made public.

Apple says it is tightening macOS 'Full Disk Access' controls, citing new security risks posed by AI agents that can read and act on sensitive data across a user's system. The move signals that the rapid spread of autonomous AI tools is forcing Apple to rethink how file access permissions work on the Mac.

Apple is introducing new macOS controls that limit how much of a Mac's data AI agents can see, particularly around full disk access. The move would restrict tools that scan large portions of a user's system, including third-party assistants from companies like Meta, tightening privacy protections as AI agents become more capable.