Apple Tightens Mac Privacy After AI Reads Your Messages

Apple is making it harder for apps to access everything on your Mac. The company announced it will change its privacy settings after a tech columnist said Meta's new AI assistant, Muse, sent him a notification about a private conversation he had over Apple Messages. He never gave Muse permission to read his messages, and he assumed they were private. Many people online agreed this was a serious privacy breach.

Meta pushed back, saying that Muse can only read Messages if the user manually grants two permissions: full-disk access (a system-level setting) and enables a Messages connector. But security experts questioned this, noting that full-disk access alone lets any app read almost any file, including messages. Apple's new statement supports that concern, saying some developers are using full-disk access in ways that put users at risk, exposing files, mail, messages, and browsing history without full understanding.

Apple's change means apps will need to ask for permission more clearly, so you can make an informed choice. This matters because AI assistants are becoming more common and can do more things for you, but they also need access to your personal data. If you grant too much access, you risk exposing not just your own information but also that of people you communicate with. The timing suggests Apple is responding to the Muse incident, even though it didn't name names.

So what should you do? Be careful about which apps you give full-disk access to. Only grant permissions you truly need and trust. Even then, as the columnist's experience shows, you might not realize what you've agreed to. Apple's update is a step toward making things clearer, but it's not a complete fix. Always review app permissions in your system settings and stay informed about how AI tools use your data.