Apple is implementing stricter controls for full disk access on macOS to combat security risks posed by AI agents. The move follows recent incidents where AI chatbots accessed user data without explicit permission.
UPDATE: Ars Technica reports that Meta stated FDA (full disk access) isn't sufficient to prevent Muse from reading messages, directly contradicting Apple's position that the enhanced controls will prevent such unauthorized access.
Apple announced Friday it will add new safeguards requiring users to take explicit action before granting apps full disk access to their machines. The security measure addresses what Apple describes as a "substantially" increased risk from AI agents gaining unauthorized access to sensitive files.
The change comes weeks after a report showed Meta's Muse AI accessed message contents despite not receiving explicit permissions to do so. This incident highlighted vulnerabilities in how AI applications interact with system-level data.
Apple's new controls will ensure that only users who genuinely intend to grant this extraordinary level of access can do so, preventing accidental or unauthorized permissions. The company is rolling out the update across its Mac ecosystem.
Full disk access remains necessary for certain legitimate applications, but the enhanced restrictions aim to prevent malicious or careless exploitation by emerging AI systems that increasingly operate with broader system permissions than traditional apps.
FBI and US Coast Guard investigators confirmed that hackers accessed the propulsion system of an oil supertanker approaching Texas this summer. The breach marks a significant escalation in cyber threats to critical maritime infrastructure.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents tracked and stored photographs of people observing ICE operations in Maine within a Palantir-built database, according to newly unsealed court filings.
An OpenAI Medicare breach has exposed Australia's aging government systems, prompting the Home Affairs Department to order all federal agencies to review their legacy technology. The overhaul could cost taxpayers significantly.
Epic Systems, the major health tech company behind the widely-used MyChart platform, is pausing product development for the next several weeks to address security vulnerabilities that could expose patient medical records.