Meta is disputing claims that its Muse AI agent accessed a journalist’s private Apple Messages on a Mac without permission. The dispute centers on a report that Muse could read private messages when the journalist believed the required setting was not enabled.
Across outlets, Meta’s position is that Muse cannot access Messages content unless users explicitly enable the appropriate Mac permissions. Meta says Muse requires user-approved approvals and that Messages access depends on multiple settings being turned on. Meta also challenges related allegations that the agent could obtain private text via device notifications.
Meta communications chief Andy Stone states that Muse “can’t read your Messages unless you do this,” describing the needed configuration in more specific terms. The reporting differs in how the allegations are framed—some emphasize the role of notification behavior, while others focus on whether specific Mac settings were enabled—but all repeat Meta’s core denial: Messages access is gated by explicit user consent.
