Brandjack News

By Quentin Langley

The media has been full of stories suggesting that users of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer have lower IQs than users of other browsers such as Google Chrome. (Full disclosure, this writer tends to use Chrome). It has been big in computer media, but has been picked up in the general media, including the Daily Telegraph and the BBC.

The only problem is, the story may be a hoax. The study was attributed to Canadian company AptiQuant. However, huge sections of Atpiquant’s website appear to be identical to that of another psychometric testing company, Central Test. Mashable is reporting that CBR (presumably Computer Business Review, rather than the Central Board of Revenue) has managed to get a statement from Central Test denying that the company has any links with AptiQuant.

But the AptiQuant website is extensive and detailed. Much of it has, apparently, been lifted wholesale from Central Test.

But if the whole AptiQuant website is an elaborate hoax, just to plant this single story – plus a follow up that IE users are trying to sue the company – who could be behind this?

Google has been the target of a brandjack recently, and Microsoft is not denying that it was responsible. Could this be Google’s revenge?

Link to the Mashable article is here.