In If anything, the AptiQuant hoax exposes the ease with which international media can be taken for a ride. All the major networks, including this website, and names like CNN, BBC, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and Forbes, carried the story of the so-called research by this Canadian firm, AptiQuant. This research suggested that users of Internet Explorer have a lower IQ than people who chose other browsers.
AptiQuant had claimed that it had given free online IQ tests to 100,000 people, and then plotted the scores against the browser on which the tests were taken. It found that Internet Explorer users scored lower than average, while Chrome, Firefox and Safari users were very slightly above average. Camino, Opera and Internet Explorer with Chrome Frame were scored "exceptionally" high.
After the initial release about IE and IQ, AptiQuant followed it up with another story, saying that loyal Internet Explorer users had threatened their company with a lawsuit. But now it has come to light that AptiQuant was a hoax. AptiQuants website had only recently been set up and the staff images were copied from a legitimate business in Paris. It is still unclear who was behind the stunt.
The AptiQuant Twitter account has been suspended since the original story broke. However, the companys website is still up and active, and you can still take a look at the PDF containing the study. There is no response from the mails sent to the companys email addresses.
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