Privacy between two user accounts on MacOS

Privacy Questions
1

Hi all. Thanks for this terrific initiative. I normally two laptops, one for work and one for personal use. The main reason is that I have to use a lot of privacy invasive apps in my work computer. I am considering to create a new user on Mac, and migrate everything related to my work to my personal Mac, and get rif of the other computer.

As far as I find, if you install applications to the specific user, it is not enabled for other users. So, the privacy invasive apps wont be able to access my main account. However, I am wondering if there is anything else to consider (except for being hacked which is unlikely in my threat model.). For insance, when I create a new account, it seems that wifi networks are shared. Is there anything else being shared btw profiles?

In sum, is it completely isolate two user accounts on MacOS like using different laptops by using different accounts.

Thanks for your help.

2

There’s some settings that are global that only admins can change that affect all users. If you really need both users to look like they’re on separate laptops, you basically need two laptops.

3

I am not an expert, but from my experience with Mac, those settings won’t affect the privacy of the accounts.

On macOS, there are separate applications folders, and all files are stored under the users folder, afaik. So, there won’t be any leak between user accounts unless you authenticate an action as an admin, such as giving permission to Microsoft or Google apps to your personal account’a folder. Since you were the admin of both accounts. In that case, what is the thing you are trying to avoid?

4

Yeah I don’t really know what privacy implications there are with this. I think you’re probably fine either way.

1 Like