The Mac network monitor
What Mac users see, and how to approve network monitoring.
On a Mac, Lodestar watches connections to AI services with a network extension called Lodestar Network Monitor. It never blocks traffic or reads content.
macOS only lets an extension run once it is approved.
With the MDM profile
The client's MDM profile approves the extension, the content filter and the background items. Users see no prompts.
Without an MDM
The Mac still reports installed AI tools. Network use only starts once someone approves the monitor, once:
Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions.
Under Network Extensions, switch on Lodestar.
When macOS asks, allow content filtering.
Users may also see an alert that Lodestar added items that can run in the background. They are listed under Lodestar in Login Items & Extensions.
After an update
When Lodestar updates itself, the network monitor is replaced with the new version. This happens straight away if someone is logged in, otherwise at the next login.
What users see
Lodestar runs in the background with no Dock icon, window or menu bar icon.
If a user opens Lodestar from Applications, it shows a local scan of their Mac and the network monitoring status. From there they can turn monitoring off or clear its history. Clearing history does not reduce what the console has already received.