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Apple is tightening one of the most powerful permissions on the Mac. The company says AI requests for Mac data will become more visible to users, with new controls and explicit prompts around a setting called Full Disk Access.
The timing is not subtle. The move follows complaints that Meta’s Muse AI agent allegedly read private Messages content without the proper permissions.
What Apple is changing
Apple announced the macOS updates on October 2, 2026. The core change targets Full Disk Access, a permission that lets an app reach deep into a user’s stored data.
Apple said granting this permission will now require “very explicit user action.” The stated goal is to stop developers from misusing that level of access.
The company framed the update as a response to shifting risks. As autonomous AI tools grow more capable, Apple argued, the dangers tied to broad data access evolve right alongside them.
The Muse dispute
Meta’s Muse AI agent got a Mac app in mid-September 2026. Complaints about its data access surfaced shortly afterward.
The most prominent came from technology columnist Jason Aten. He indicated that Muse accessed his private messages even though Full Disk Access had not been enabled.
Meta disputed the account. The company said that properly reaching Messages data required explicit user permission through two layers: Full Disk Access plus additional connectors, both of which could be revoked.
Why the Mac is different from the iPhone
The episode highlights a long-standing split in Apple’s ecosystem. On iOS and iPadOS, apps live under stricter sandboxing rules that keep them walled off from each other’s data.
macOS has always been looser by design. Full Disk Access exists because professional and power-user software often needs broad reach to do its job.
Apple’s fix does not appear to import the iPhone’s sandbox wholesale onto the Mac. Instead, it adds friction and transparency to the moment a user hands over the keys.
How the market reacted
Investors seemed comfortable with the announcement. Apple’s shares rose about 2% on the day of the news.
Meta’s stock edged up about 0.3%.
What this means
For Apple, the update reinforces a brand built heavily on privacy. It also quietly positions Apple as the gatekeeper for AI agents on its platform. Any company that wants its agent to operate deeply on a Mac will now have to persuade users through a more deliberate permission process.
For Meta specifically, the Muse launch on Mac got off to a bumpy start. The company maintains that its permission model required user consent at multiple layers, but the public narrative has centered on Aten’s account rather than Meta’s rebuttal.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
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