A macOS privacy permission that grants an app unrestricted read access to protected files and folders on the system, managed via Security & Privacy settings.
Apple announced on October 2 that macOS Full Disk Access can be granted only through very explicit user action, citing the added risk from AI agents. Agent builders can scope to user-selected folders now.
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Apple said on Oct 2 it will add macOS controls for Full Disk Access after an Inc columnist said Meta's Muse agent read his private messages. The new step governs how users consent, and a user who completes it still gives an agent the whole disk.
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Apple says it will require 'very explicit user action' before a Mac app gets Full Disk Access, after Meta's Muse was told to map relationships hourly. The new control comes at the moment a user grants access, so backup tools and AI agents that rely on the permission should plan for a harder setup step.
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Inc. columnist Jason Aten says Meta's Muse agent synced his Mac texts up to row 187,462 while Full Disk Access showed as off. Meta says that cannot happen, so the dispute is over whether a settings screen shows users what an agent can actually read.
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Meta gives Muse read access to Messages, Mail and local files on a Mac, and its approval prompts fire only before actions such as sending a message. A columnist says the agent used notification text he never offered.
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OpenAI's assurances about local processing describe what the vendor does with your texts. They say nothing about who agreed to supply them.
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