id: os_dictation_disable
title: Disable Dictation
discussion: |
  Dictation _MUST_ be disabled on Intel based Macs as the feature On Device Dictation is only available on Apple Silicon devices. When enabled on Apple Silicon Macs, on device dictation _MUST_ be enabled as well to prevent data from being sent off device.
references:
  nist:
    cce:
      macos_27:
        - CCE-XXXXX-X
      macos_26:
        - CCE-95180-6
      macos_15:
        - CCE-94180-7
      macos_14:
        - CCE-93017-2
      ios_27:
        - CCE-XXXXX-X
      ios_26:
        - CCE-95525-2
      ios_18:
        - CCE-94550-1
      ios_17:
        - CCE-93498-4
    800-53r5:
      - AC-20
      - CM-7
      - CM-7(1)
      - SC-7(10)
    800-171r3:
      - 03.01.20
      - 03.04.06
  disa:
    cci:
      - CCI-000381
    srg:
      - SRG-OS-000095-GPOS-00049
    disa_stig:
      macos_26:
        - APPL-26-002230
      macos_15:
        - APPL-15-002230
      macos_14:
        - APPL-14-002230
    cmmc:
      - AC.L1-B.1.III
      - AC.L1-3.1.20
      - CM.L2-3.4.6
      - CM.L2-3.4.7
  bsi:
    indigo:
      ios_26:
        - ANNEX K
      ios_18:
        - ANNEX K
      ios_17:
        - ANNEX K
  hhs:
    hicp:
      - 2.L.A
      - ''
  cis:
    controls_v8:
      - 4.1
      - 4.8
platforms:
  macOS:
    '27.0': {}
    '26.0':
      benchmarks:
        - name: disa_stig
          severity: medium
      enforcement_info:
        check:
          shell: |-
            /usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript << EOS
            $.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.applicationaccess')\
            .objectForKey('allowDictation').js
            EOS
          result:
            string: 'false'
      mobileconfig_info:
        - PayloadType: com.apple.applicationaccess
          PayloadContent:
            - allowDictation: false
    '15.0':
      benchmarks:
        - name: disa_stig
          severity: medium
      enforcement_info:
        check:
          shell: |-
            /usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript << EOS
            $.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.applicationaccess')\
            .objectForKey('allowDictation').js
            EOS
          result:
            string: 'false'
      mobileconfig_info:
        - PayloadType: com.apple.applicationaccess
          PayloadContent:
            - allowDictation: false            
    enforcement_info:
      check:
        shell: |-
          /usr/bin/osascript -l JavaScript << EOS
          $.NSUserDefaults.alloc.initWithSuiteName('com.apple.ironwood.support')\
          .objectForKey('Ironwood Allowed').js
          EOS
        result:
          string: 'false'
    introduced: '10.13'
  iOS:
    '27.0':
      supervised: true
    '26.0':
      supervised: true
      benchmarks:
        - name: indigo_high
    '18.0':
      supervised: true
      benchmarks:
        - name: indigo_high
    '17.0':
      supervised: true
      benchmarks:
        - name: indigo_base
        - name: indigo_high
    introduced: '10.3'
tags:
  - i386
  - 800-53r5_low
  - 800-53r5_moderate
  - 800-53r5_high
  - 800-171
  - cisv8
  - cnssi-1253_low
  - cnssi-1253_high
  - cmmc_lvl3
  - cmmc_lvl2
  - cmmc_lvl1
  - cnssi-1253_moderate
  - hicp_lp
mobileconfig_info:
  - PayloadType: com.apple.applicationaccess
    PayloadContent:
      - allowDictation: false
ddm_info:
  declarationtype: com.apple.configuration.keyboard.settings
  ddm_key: AllowDictation
  ddm_value: false

