Full Disk Access on Mac: Here’s what Apple must, and must not, do
We’ve seen a number of examples of why giving Meta’s Muse app full disk access to your Mac is a very bad idea , and yet another major privacy issue has recently been discovered. It’s now been found that Muse analyzes your communication with everyone in your life on an hourly basis. Apple is rightly concerned about the development, and in a blog post says that it will be introducing additional…
Full Disk Access on Mac: Apple's Measures to Address Privacy Concerns
The Muse app, developed by Meta, recently gained significant attention due to its ability to access all data on a user's Mac. Apple has acknowledged the issue and intends to implement additional controls to ensure users are fully aware of the implications of granting Full Disk Access. This app analyzes communication with family, partners, friends, colleagues, collaborators, and people you follow, compiling data on their daily lives, including birthdays, anniversaries, and other significant events.
The instructions further reveal that the model could record personal history, such as significant trips, arguments, and milestones.
Apple's blog post highlights the potential danger of granting full access to apps, particularly AI agents. The company intends to introduce explicit user actions when granting this level of access to ensure users understand the consequences. Apple emphasizes the critical nature of this step, given the potential for unauthorized data access.
However, Apple must exercise caution in its approach. In the past, the company faced criticism for forcing users to confirm permissions on a weekly basis, which was perceived as turning macOS into a subscription with no exit option. Despite the dangers, Apple should allow users to make their own decisions regarding permission grants rather than imposing forced confirmations.
Users should be provided with strong warnings regarding the risks associated with granting Full Disk Access, but the final decision should be left to the user.
Written by urgent.news from 9to5Mac's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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