The browser that conquered the world—and refused to leave.

Science · Published 1 November 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: At its peak, Internet Explorer 6 held a staggering 90% of the global market share. Yet, it became one of history's most notorious tech failures, plagued by severe security flaws and a lack of modern standards that forced developers into elaborate workarounds just to keep the web functional.

Released on August 24, 2001, Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) achieved near-total dominance in the early 2000s. By mid-2004, it commanded a peak market share of 90%. This ubiquity created a paradox: because so many people used it, there was little motive for Microsoft to innovate. Consequently, the successor, IE7, was delayed until October 2006—over five years after IE6 debuted. During this stagnation, Mozilla Firefox emerged as a popular alternative, offering modern features like tabbed browsing and superior security.

The browser's technical limitations were profound. It lacked proper support for CSS version 2, forcing web developers to use 'CSS hacks,' conditional comments, or browser sniffing to ensure websites didn't break. It also failed to handle alpha transparency in PNG images correctly, often replacing transparent pixels with solid grey backgrounds. Furthermore, its integration into the Windows operating system meant that vulnerabilities in IE frequently granted attackers significant access to the entire OS. Security experts famously labeled it 'the least secure software on the planet.'

Despite these flaws, IE6 proved incredibly resilient. It remained a staple in business environments long after its decline elsewhere; by late 2007, 55.2% of companies still used it. It maintained a significant presence in China well into the 2010s, with usage only dropping below 1% by the end of 2015. Its legacy is one of technical debt and market monopoly—a case study in how dominance can lead to complacency, leaving millions of users exposed to risks like the 'Download.ject' malware.

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