Microsoft confirms Windows 11 will ask for consent before AI agents can access your personal files, after outrage

[Parkinsond]

Content source

https://www.windowslatest.com/2025/12/17/microsoft-confirms-windows-11-will-ask-for-consent-before-sharing-your-personal-files-with-ai-after-outrage/

Microsoft confirms that Windows 11 will ask for your consent before it allows an AI Agent to access your files stored in the six known folders, which include Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos. You can also customize file access permissions for each agent.

We noticed that although Microsoft insists that AI agents run under an agentic workspace, which is separate from the user workspace, and have limited permissions, Windows will still grant them access to your Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and Videos folders, which are collectively called the known folders.

Microsoft confirms Windows 11 will ask for consent before AI agents can access your personal files, after outrage

Windows 11 will ask for your consent before AI agents access personal files in known folders. Microsoft confirms per-agent permissions, too.

www.windowslatest.com

 

[Captain Awesome]

Still not trustable!!!

 

[lokamoka820]

We don't know if the approval request process will be a one-time thing or will continue to an annoying degree. For example, yesterday I tried for the first time to use Copilot, which is integrated with the Microsoft Edge browser, and it asked me to log in, which I refused. Now it asks me to log in every 5 minutes, and this is annoying.

 

[Parkinsond]

We don't know if the approval request process will be a one-time thing or will continue to an annoying degree. For example, yesterday I tried for the first time to use Copilot, which is integrated with the Microsoft Edge browser, and it asked me to log in, which I refused. Now it asks me to log in every 5 minutes, and this is annoying.

ChatGPT website also asks for log in at first load, but not later.
Fortunately, I rarely ask AI for help; still prefer the oldschool search.

 

[Captain Awesome]

ChatGPT website also asks for log in at first load, but not later.
Fortunately, I rarely ask AI for help; still prefer the oldschool search.

oldschool is way of life. More steps but simple.

 

[Parkinsond]

oldschool is way of life. More steps but simple.

It's not a matter of more steps and wasting time, but the number of times AI was helpful is far less than those when it was useless, not to mention misleading.

 

[Jonny Quest]

For the simpler questions I ask AI, it's been very helpful (Gemini and Perplexity free), including 15 minutes ago when I asked this:
"Is it a good idea to restart my Asus router once a month?" and was given some good information, IMO, as well as the step by step guide in the settings to do it automatically, which were spot on. I do confirm the information with some of the links posted in the results.

It can be a two edged sword, but compared to Brave AI and Google AI search results, those two other search options have been helpful, the next step up for me. I've kinda gotten spoiled in doing it that way, other than watching YouTube videos and doing searches on this forum.

 

[Parkinsond]

For the simpler questions I ask AI, it's been very helpful (Gemini and Perplexity free), including 15 minutes ago when I asked this:
"Is it a good idea to restart my Asus router once a month?" and was given some good information, IMO, as well as the step by step guide in the settings to do it automatically, which were spot on. I do confirm the information with some of the links posted in the results.

It can be a two edged sword, but compared to Brave AI and Google AI search results, those two other search options have been helpful, the next step up for me. I've kinda gotten spoiled in doing it that way, other than watching YouTube videos and doing searches on this forum.

AI is undeniably helpful in certain situations, but all I need is to let me use it when I want to, not to be an integral part of the OS, running all time in the background, God knows what is collecting.

 

[EASTER]

Still not trustable!!!

Can you just envision a cleverly written ransomware using that same Ai to scramble files etc

New Term: Ai LoLBins

 

[Jonny Quest]

AI is undeniably helpful in certain situations, but all I need is to let me use it when I want to, not to be an integral part of the OS, running all time in the background, God knows what is collecting.

In relation to your thread, I absolutely 100% agree I got a little off topic

 

[Parkinsond]

I got a little off topic

Not at all; I read "definite" off-topic comments (and cat fights) on MT almost equal to the on-topic ones; I cannot consider yours as off-topic.

 

[ForgottenSeer 123960]

A tool is only as useful as the person who is wielding it's knowledge of it is. AI is not a simple search engine, and if you treat it as much, then you will not benefit the full potential of the tool. It really is that simple. AI is quite powerful in the right hands. If you insist on hammering that nail with the drill then I guess it is what it is.