Apple to tighten full disk access controls on Mac amid AI agent risks
Apple says it is rolling out new limits after warning that AI agents substantially increase the risk posed by broad disk permissions.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
Apple is adding new limits to "full disk access" permissions on the Mac, citing risks posed by the rise of AI agents, the company said in an update on Friday.
The change was reported earlier by TechCrunch and later confirmed by Apple in its own announcement.
According to Apple, the new controls are meant to ensure that only users who genuinely intend to grant an application this extraordinary level of system access are able to do so, rather than having it granted inadvertently or through a less deliberate process.
Full disk access is one of the most powerful permissions available on macOS, allowing an approved application to read and modify nearly any file on the system, including sensitive user data and files belonging to other applications.
Apple's update frames the tightening of these controls as a response to AI agents that can take autonomous actions on a user's behalf, which the company says substantially increases the potential risk if such broad access is misused or exploited.
The company did not detail the exact mechanics of the new limits or specify a timeline for when they will roll out to all Mac users.
Apple has periodically adjusted macOS permission systems over the years in response to evolving security concerns, and the latest change reflects growing industry attention to the security implications of AI agents operating with system-level access.
Sources
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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