Apple changes full-disk access permissions to curb abuse from AI agents

Key Points:

• Apple announced changes to macOS privacy settings to prevent third-party apps from misusing Full Disk Access (FDA) permissions to access message histories and other sensitive data without users' full understanding.
• The announcement follows a controversy where Meta's AI assistant Muse reportedly accessed Apple Messages content without explicit user permission, sparking widespread concern about AI assistants having broad access to personal data.
• Meta's CTO David Singleton claimed that Muse requires users to manually enable both FDA and a Messages connector to read message content, but security experts and Apple's statement suggest that FDA alone could expose messages and other private information.
• Apple emphasized the growing risks of granting extensive system access to AI agents and committed to ensuring users are better informed about privacy implications before granting such permissions.
• The timing of Apple's announcement coincides with prior security disclosures about Muse's vulnerabilities and Amazon's decision to block Muse, raising questions about the safety and trustworthiness of the AI assistant's extensive access requirements.