Are you sure that
" Non-harmful effects on NPCs:
effects like darkness or fog cloud now trigger a crime reaction, these types of effects should not be considered a harmful act."
is not intended? I would say it is not a crime, but that may be the only mechanisms they have to trigger hostile reactions.
I you invoke magic that covers an NPC in a magic effect - without the permission of said NPC - even if its doesn't physically damage them, many would consider that a hostile, unless they have bestial intelligence. Otherwise it allows you to set up magical obscuration affects on non-hostile targets who then stand around like morons what for your first strike from the darkness. I suspect that kind of cheesy gameplay is what they are trying to stop.
Unless you mean casting these within sight of an NPC - not covering them with the effect - in which case, clearly that is a bug.
I agree , casting darkness and looting everything in that area is just way too chessy , not mentioning the battle aspects of it.
