A widely-circulated study on the IQ of certain browser users caused a hubbub last week, as it showed Internet Explorer users on average had a much lower IQ than users of competing browsers. However, further investigation concludes that the study, and the company behind it, are both fake.

The data analysis from the original study concluded that the IQ of Internet Explorer users lagged behind all other competitors, not even reaching the test’s average baseline of 100. Internet Explorer 6 users performed the worst, barely escaping the “Borderline” designation that occurs below 80. The firm behind the study, AptiQuant, claimed the data was gathered via an online IQ test that tracked the users performance while imprinting which browser the test was loaded into. The results of the test spread like wildfire, and landed on major tech outlets like Mashable, TechCrunch, and Gizmodo.

However, investigation into the company behind the study revealed the truth quickly. AptiQuant’s web page has images and text lifted from an entirely different research firm, Central Test, which denies any involvement or partnership with AptiQuant. The website was also registered merely a month before the study released, further cementing the hoax.

No further action has been taken, and AptiQuant has not been reached for comment.

Below is the faulty data table:

^[1]Read more at Mashable ^[2].