Apple plans new limits on Mac full-disk access over AI-agent risks
Apple says it will add controls to the Mac’s “full disk access” permission, citing risks associated with AI agents. The company said the changes are intended to ensure that users who want to grant an app this level of access can do so through additional safeguards, according to an update reported by The Verge and TechCrunch.
Apple plans to introduce new limits on the “full disk access” permission in macOS. The company said the change responds to risks posed by AI agents, according to an update reported by The Verge and TechCrunch.
Full disk access gives an app an unusually broad level of access to files and other data on a Mac. Apple described the permission as an “extraordinary level of access” in its update.
Apple said the new controls are intended to ensure that users who genuinely want to grant an app full disk access can do so only through additional safeguards. The source material does not specify the controls’ technical design, release timing, or which macOS versions will receive them.
The company’s statement links the planned restrictions to the risks it says are associated with AI agents. The available report does not identify a specific incident or describe how the risks have affected users.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What specific capabilities will Apple restrict or require before an app receives full disk access?
How will users distinguish legitimate AI-agent functions from requests that expose more data than necessary?
Which developers or applications could be most affected by the new permission controls?
What evidence led Apple to characterize the risks from AI agents as substantially greater?
How might the restrictions affect automation tools that rely on broad access to local files?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026