Apple moves to tighten Mac-wide data access for AI agents

Apple says it will add new safeguards around Full Disk Access, an unusually broad Mac permission originally meant to let backup software reach files that normal privacy protections block. Once granted, it can expose far more than documents, including mail, messages, and browsing history—meaning a capable AI agent could be given a remarkably complete view of someone’s digital life. Apple says the new system will require especially clear, deliberate user action before an app receives that level of access. The company has not yet detailed the controls or a rollout date, but the move signals that permissions designed for utility software are becoming harder to justify as autonomous apps ask to see everything.