Technology

The spread of misinformation presents a significant challenge in the civic space, and this last global “year of elections” has illustrated just how easily bad actors can slip through the cracks of social media platforms. Misleading claims fed to young TikTok users in the form of video montages proved to be endemic in the run-up to the UK election, with fictional, seemingly automated accounts behind them. Real or not, the content and subsequent comments may still succeed in convincing impressionable users with alternative facts.

In the U.S. 38% of adults used social media to seek information about the 2024 presidential election. With sweeping content moderation changes on Meta platforms imminent—leaving it up to users to comment on posts they deem to be inaccurate—manipulative information is increasingly likely to reach a broader segment of the population, and illegitimate social media campaigns will have the potential to mislead millions of people.

One way of avoiding further escalation means tackling the issue at the source. One way of doing this is through the use of graph database technology. This form of database structures and analyses information as entities and relationships and can help to untangle patterns and covert threads within them, ones which may seem legitimate but could be hiding scams or misinformation. By revealing these connections and delivering otherwise hidden insights, graphs can unleash the power of contextual data to fight all kinds of deception.

Here are three key qualities of graph technology that make it a powerful tool for investigating misinformation, fraud, and scams:

Recognizing relationships in data

Graph databases store data as a network of interconnected facts. This type of data model is useful for researchers to easily and quickly map and analyse complex connections. In the context of election misinformation, for example, it’s the relationships between social media ads, funders, and candidates that would hold insights.

By organizing the data as “nodes” and “relationships,” graph databases can enable researchers to surface hidden patterns and relationships between the ads and account credentials and then analyze those patterns and anomalies within the weakly connected components to discern malicious accounts.

Traverses relationships natively at scale and speed

Graph databases enable investigators to store detailed patterns of problematic actors. Then, they can query the data to uncover intricate connections between the suspicious actor and other entities.

By easily extending across data at scale and quickly identifying shared credentials between multiple accounts, analysts are able to spot areas for further investigation. Graphs easily encompass historical data, so users can uncover associations between different entities, like flagged and deleted social media accounts, for example, to build a more comprehensive analysis of how such networks can operate undetected on these social media platforms.

Uncovering massive financial fraud

It wasn’t just misinformation that was untangled by graph technology during this past crucial election year – it also uncovered previously hidden financial scams.

More than 3,000 entities that funded political advertisements on Facebook and Instagram, seemingly to influence voters, were identified by Syracuse University’s IDJC ElectionGraph Project. Most concerning was that the Institute found two entities connected to a complex network of bad actors who had disguised themselves as election campaigns to scam engaged voters out of money by promising merchandise like hats, flags, or coins in exchange for their credit card information.

Although these networks took steps to go undetected as they proliferated ads across Facebook, researchers used graph database technology to analyze the coordinated problematic content. They found some ads attempted to scam victims out of as much as $80 USD per month – and none of it directly supported any candidates’ campaign.

Keeping one step ahead with graph databases

Every year, organizations and consumers alike lose billions of dollars to online scams. Busting fraud and protecting users is all about finding and investigating the connections between various online entities, and modern technologies are helping to do so. Operating like a master detective, graph technology is capable of mapping patterns and relationships across huge amounts of data, enabling users to expose digitally savvy bad actors and helping them keep one step ahead of a complex challenge facing society.

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This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

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• Apple has reportedly partnered with Alibaba to bring AI features to the iPhone in China
• iPhone sales have slipped in China due to a lack of AI features
• Alibaba’s vast consumer data and AI expertise make it an ideal partner for Apple's plans for China

DeepSeek has been at the center of frenzied interest in Chinese AI developers; even so, Apple is reportedly teaming up with Chinese tech giant Alibaba to produce new AI features for iPhones sold in China, according to The Information.

Apple has been keen to carve out a bigger piece of the smartphone market in China after a decline in recent years and is placing a bet on AI as the solution, and Alibaba might just be the partner to help produce appealing AI tools for its devices.

The potential decision to work with a Chinese company rather than simply deploying Apple Intelligence as it stands is not a complete surprise. Apple didn’t have much choice about finding a Chinese partner to get its AI tools approved by regulators. However, Alibaba isn't the expected partner, according to the report. Apple had apparently planned to work with Baidu before deciding that Baidu's AI models weren't quite what they wanted.

The company reportedly considered offerings from other Chinese AI developers, including e-commerce giant Tencent and TikTok owner ByteDance. Apple even considered teaming up with DeepSeek before its explosive debut in the U.S. However, according to the report, Apple ultimately ruled out DeepSeek because it simply didn’t have the workforce or experience to handle a deal of this scale.

Ultimately, Alibaba emerged as Apple's choice for a few reasons, according to the report. By far, the biggest is that Alibaba has access to a staggering amount of data on Chinese consumers. With insights into shopping, payments, and general digital behavior, Alibaba’s AI could help Apple offer more personalized and localized features to iPhone users in China. Beyond the regulatory demands, Alibaba could also help Apple stand out from its Chinese competitors. Huawei, in particular, has been ramping up its AI-enhanced smartphone sales for nearly a year, enticing those who might previously have bought iPhones.

iPhone Alibaba

Alibaba's involvement might speed up the approval process for AI features with Chinese regulators. Based on the report, Apple device owners in China might see some smarter Siri responses, improved search capabilities, and better personalization options appear on their devices as a result of the deal.

Apple has long been known for tightly controlling its ecosystem. This partnership would force Apple to open up a little and relinquish some of that control to embed Alibaba’s AI. It’s a necessary compromise to stay in the Chinese market, but it also raises questions about how regional differences will change Apple products.

For now, Apple’s immediate goal is simple: make iPhones in China feel as cutting-edge as their local competitors. With AI increasingly becoming a deciding factor for consumers, a potential partnership with Alibaba might be Apple’s best shot at staying relevant in one of the largest markets in the world.

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• Apple set to launch a new digitized system for easy collaboration with partners
• Apple partners will be trained to become trusted advisors
• Apple partners hail new program as a game-changer

Apple is setting its sights on small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises looking to invest in technology such as the best business Macs as its next major revenue stream.

Reprots from CRN suggest Apple is set to launch a revamped partner program designed to strengthen its presence in the business world with a renewed focus on selling more devices through its channel.

The strategic move comes as the company seeks to capitalize on its growing install base of devices, which reached a record high of 2.3 billion products worldwide in late 2024.

A new era for Apple’s partner ecosystem?

Set to launch in Fall 2025, the partner program introduces new ways for resellers and service providers to collaborate with Apple, which claims this program is tailored to meet the needs of enterprise, SMB, and education sectors, offering four distinct partner categories.

The Apple Business Partner category targets resellers with a product-heavy model, while the Apple Premium Business Partner category is designed for partners with a strong services-led approach.

Additionally, the Apple Premium Education Partner category focuses on delivering the best laptops for students in K-12 and higher education institutions, while the Apple Consultants Network now features Apple Technical Partner and Apple Premium Technical Partner designations, focusing purely on customer support and advisory services.

Apple is hoping this segmentation will ensure that businesses and educational organizations can find the solutions tailored to their unique needs across the range of Mac desktops and laptops.

To support its partners, the company has introduced the Apple Professional Academy, an online training platform offering self-paced videos, skills training, and technical resources.

The initiative aims to equip partners with the tools they need to become trusted advisors on the Apple platform. The company has also rolled out a partner discovery tool, enabling customers to easily find solution providers based on their capabilities, reviews, and contact information.

One of Apple’s long-standing partners, TD Synnex, which made about $7 billion from collaborating with Apple in 2024, is particularly excited about the new program.

“As a longtime Apple partner, we’re excited about the new Apple Partner Network,” TD Synnex's President of North America Reyna Thompson said in a statement.

“We believe this program, supported by our creative financing, deployment support, and trade-in services, will empower partners to drive growth and enhance capabilities to deliver exceptional value.”

Apple also plans to grow its partners via a new digitized partner gateway which will enable collaborators to directly engage with Apple, access business planning tools, and leverage sales and marketing resources.

Apple’s PC lineup, including its Macs, continues to be a significant revenue driver, generating $8.9 billion in sales last quarter, a 16% year-over-year increase.

The company’s installed base of Macs has also reached an all-time high, with double-digit growth in upgrades and new customers. In the U.S., customer satisfaction with Macs stands at an impressive 94%.

“This incredible performance was broad-based with double-digit growth in every geographic segment,” said Kevan Parekh, Apple’s Senior Vice President and CFO.

“With our latest advances in Apple silicon, and our fastest Neural Engine ever customers are able to take advantage of the full capabilities of AI and Mac,” he added.

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• Google I/O 2025 is set for May 20 - May 21
• I/O generally covers a lot of ground, but we expect big updates on Gemini
• I/O 2024 brought us Gemini, Project Astra, a Sora competitor, and more

Well, Google’s continuing its trend of setting event dates months in advance. And if you’ve been keen to learn more about Project Astra, maybe a future Pixel device, or just more and more about Gemini, Google I/O 2025 is set for May 20 and May 21. Where? Well, of course, it’s in Mountainview, California at the Shoreline Amphitheater.

We can expect the main keynote to happen on day one – May 20, 2025 – and one of the best parts of Google’s annual developer conference is that you never really know what you might see. Last year we were treated to hours on Google Gemini, AI, a little bit about the Android platform, and a tease at the end for Project Astra. We even went hands-on with that and later in 2024 we got Google Gemini Live.

(Image credit: Google)

The good thing is that Google will livestream the keynote, and smaller developer fireside chats, and – the best part – TechRadar will be on the ground to provide you with the latest as it happens. It also just so happens that Google’s event is in the middle of Microsoft's Build Conference, which is set for May 19 to May 22 in Seattle, Washington.

Since this invite just hit our inbox, and this story is developing, here’s a short list of what we could see make its debut at I/O 2025.

• The next version of Google Gemini
• An update on Project Astra
• The debut of Android 16
• A look at future Pixel devices
• Potentially a next-generation drop of Veo, Google’s generative video creator
• New features for Google Photos and all of G-Suite

And that’s really just the tip of the iceberg as Google generally treats I/O’s keynote as a chance to show off the latest tech, and sometimes tech that really is there just to get a crowd reaction. One thing for sure, though, is that AI will be the center of attention and will get a lot of airtime during the keynote.

We saw Google usher in the Gemini era last year, and it’s likely that the company is teeing up even more updates for its main AI suite. It’s also been releasing a steady stream of updates for Gemini since, with 2.0 and a few subsequent models like Gemini 2.0 Flash dropping earlier this month. It’s likely that Google needs to keep up with steep competition from the likes of OpenAI, Microsoft, and even newcomer DeepSeek.

Sure enough before May 20 rolls around – and the main Google I/O keynote – Google will roll out even more updates for Gemini, Android, and its various other products. Who knows, we might even see the Google Pixel 9a debut before then.

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