BBC闢謠：IE瀏覽器用戶智商低是假新聞

A story which suggested that users of Internet Explorer have a lower IQ than people who chose other browsers appears to have been an elaborate hoax。

IE用戶比其他瀏覽器用戶智商低這個事件是一場精心策劃的騙局。

A number of media organisations, including the BBC, reported on the research, put out by Canadian firm ApTiquant。

許多媒體，包括BBC，都報道了這個由加拿大公司ApTiquant發佈的研究結果。

It later emerged that the company's website was only recently set up and staff images were copied from a legitimate business in Paris。

稍後證實，該公司的網站才建立不久，工作人員的圖像都拷貝自一家在巴黎的合法經營公司。

It is unclear who was behind the stunt。

目前還不清楚是誰在背後搗鬼。

The story was reported by many high profile organisations including CNN, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph and Forbes。

這個事件被許多備受矚目的媒體所報道，其中包括美國有線電視新聞網，每日郵報，每日電訊報和福布斯。

Questions about the authenticity of the story were raised by readers of the BBC website who established that the company which put out the research - ApTiquant - appeared to have only set up its website in the past month.

關於這個故事的真實性的疑問是由BBC網站的讀者提出的。他們指出，ApTiquant的網站是在一個月前剛剛建立的。

Thumbnail images of the firm's staff on the website also matched those on the site of French research company Central Test, although many of the names had been changed。

該公司工作人員在網站上的縮略圖也跟法國研究機構Central Test的網站上的圖片一摸一樣，雖然許多人的名字改變了。

The BBC contacted Central Test who confirmed that they had been made aware of the copy but had no knowledge of ApTiquant or its activities。

英國廣播公司聯繫了Central Test，而他們證實，他們已經發現了這一複製圖片的行爲，但目前還沒有ApTiquant以及它的相關活動的資料。