Attitudes towards CAPTCHA: A Survey of Thai Internet Users

CAPTCHA stands for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart” and has received much attention since it first began appearing on websites. It requires the deciphering of distorted texts, mostly in English which is something that computers still cannot do well. It is also helpful in preventing the abuse of online services. The current text-based CAPTCHA requires users to be able to read English characters. For Thai Internet users who might not be very familiar with English, a Thai language based CAPTCHA may be a more appropriate option. To date, no published work has examined the extent to which Thai Internet users are familiar with CAPTCHA; therefore, this study attempts to survey their awareness of, and attitudes towards, the online test. Based on 340 usable online questionnaire submissions, it was found that Thai Internet users are generally aware of CAPTCHA, but their understanding of it does not go very deep. Using exploratory factor analysis, their attitudes towards CAPTCHA can be classified in two dimensions: (1) the perceived drawbacks of the CAPTCHA test and (2) the feasibility of Thai language CAPTCHA. In addition to providing our insights into the application of CAPTCHA in the Thai Internet user context, online service providers could take certain measures to improve users’ attitudes and understanding regarding CATPCHA.