Play / The map / The mandates / The desktop app, with local tools switched on

The desktop app, with local tools switched on

I want it to read and write the files I point it at, and to reach the sites it needs to answer me. I did not turn it on so that it could run programs on my machine, read credentials, act in my accounts, read my past sessions, or change its own settings.

Status: starting-point · authored 2026-09-09 · the site, as a starting point — not measured, not surveyed; the first thing to argue with · edit this mandate

The delta

Against every profile this mandate applies to. ▲ is authority you did not ask for; ▼ is something you were counting on that is not there. The tally is at the bottom.

▲ excess — it can, and you did not want it to▼ shortfall — it cannot, and you wanted it to✓ aligned — it can, and you wanted it to– aligned — it cannot, and you did not want it to? it can, and the mandate does not say· it cannot, and the mandate does not say

Capability	Claude Desktoplocal tools
filesystem
Read the project it is working on	✓
Change the project it is working on	✓
Read any file the account can reachunstated: ‘the files I point it at’ and ‘any file my account can read’ are different things, and which one the local-tools grant actually is depends on the setup	?
Change any file the account can reach	▲
Delete files anywhere the account can reach	·
Read a retained record: shell history, past sessions	▲
process
Run programs as the account	▲
Run programs inside its own sandbox only	·
network
Reach a permitted list of hosts	▼
Reach any host on the internet	?
identity
Read credentials stored where it runs	▲
Act in accounts with the credentials it holds	▲
Change its own permission settings	▲
communication
Send a message to anyone	·
Read mail or chat it is connected to	·
code
Commit to the repository it was pointed at	·
Push to a code host (any branch it can reach)	·
Sign commits with the key it holds	·
Publish packages, images or pages under the name it holds	·
money
Spend money or tokens against an account it holds	·
schedule
Create something that outlives the turn where it runs (a cron, a service)	·
Create something that outlives the session, on the platform (a routine, a scheduled trigger, a new session)	·
browser
Read every page you visit	·
The delta	▲ 6 ▼ 1

In words

Claude Desktop — local tools: excess — Change any file the account can reach; Run programs as the account; Read credentials stored where it runs; Act in accounts with the credentials it holds; Change its own permission settings; Read a retained record: shell history, past sessions. Shortfall — Reach a permitted list of hosts.

The mandate, row by row

Capability	Position	Note
Read the project it is working on	want
Change the project it is working on	want
Reach a permitted list of hosts	want
Run programs as the account	do not want
Read credentials stored where it runs	do not want
Act in accounts with the credentials it holds	do not want
Change its own permission settings	do not want
Read a retained record: shell history, past sessions	do not want
Change any file the account can reach	do not want
Read any file the account can reach	unstated	unstated: ‘the files I point it at’ and ‘any file my account can read’ are different things, and which one the local-tools grant actually is depends on the setup

You cannot deny the excess rows. The agent already has the access. What is left is how long you are prepared to live with each one and who says so — what to do next.