Apple is listening to feedback and backlash regarding its plans to continually warn users about apps with screen sharing permissions—at least somewhat.
Apple drew sharp criticism when it was revealed that macOS Sequoia would ask weekly, and after each restart, to confirm that various screenshot and screen recording apps had permission to operate. Needless to say, users were not happy with the idea of being continually nagged about software they chose to install and use.
The company appears to be listening to the feedback, at least to some degree, with news that Sequoia will ask users to confirm such apps have permission to operate on a monthly basis, instead of weekly. According to 9to5Mac, Sequoia will no longer ask after each restart.
The outlet reports that the following message is now displayed, as of macOS Sequoia beta 6:
“[App name] is requesting to bypass the system private window picker and directly access your screen and audio. This will allow [app name] to record your screen and system audio, including personal or sensitive information that may be visible or audible.”
Unfortunately, there is still no option to permanently grant permission, with users only able to allow permission for one month at a time.
Some developers, including Craig Hockenberry, who was one of the first to notice the original permission notifications, have pointed to the Persistent Content Capture entitlement as a possible way permanently grant permissions for an app and silence the notifications.
As TidBits points out, however, Apple describes the entitlement as ““a Boolean value that indicates whether a Virtual Network Computing (VNC) app needs persistent access to screen capture,” which would seem to indicate it lacks the flexibility necessary to fill the role developers are hoping for.
While Apple’s focus on security is admirable, and monthly notifications are better than weekly ones, the company’s entire approach to this situation seems like a solution looking for a problem, and will likely alienate far more users than it helps.