Apple is going to track your calls and emails and give your device a 'trust score' to combat fraud September 19, 2018 https://www.businessinsider.de/apple-to-calculate-trust-scores-to-combat-fraud-2018-9?r=US&IR=T
I don't see how tracking the number of phone calls and emails you make and receive is going to tell them anything unless the information they are garnering is to whom and from whom. However that would also seem to be useless for them and what they are claiming to need it for, but not for big brother, that is exactly the kind of information they would want. If so I wonder how fast encrypted email and phone call apps are going to disappear from the Apple app store?
The reasoning, I think, is that devices used by spammers, bot hosters, and others who are generally up to no good, will have far greater call and email volumes than devices typically do.
Yeah, I was thinking that too. But viewed sympathetically, Chinese efforts at social management might be necessary for a country as large, diverse and chaotic as theirs. I recently read that the ratio of police to population is much smaller in China than in Europe, and far smaller than in the US. And I've also read that poor self control is all too prevalent in China. Jackie Chan has basically said that, without control, people would just do what they wanted (and not in a good way). As in, put melamine in baby formula, to increase profits. So there's the argument that, without censorship and social management, there might be chaos in China. But of course, those arguments aren't relevant to occupied territories, such as Tibet and the "stans". And maybe other areas too.
I would agree as well. Apple probably wants to detect these users and block their activities somehow.
I actually believe the opposite is true. Apple wants to protect the security and privacy of their devices, therefore this action is preventative.... By Apple taking this pro-active action now, It will be more difficult to claim that spammers/scammers are hiding behind encryption apps later. I see this as a positive move by Apple.