User Perception of CAPTCHAs: A Comparative Study between University and Internet Users

TL;DR

This study compares university and internet users' perceptions of CAPTCHA security and usability, revealing user frustration with difficulty levels and concerns about security, informing future CAPTCHA improvements.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of user perceptions from different populations, highlighting usability issues and security concerns in current CAPTCHA systems.

Findings

Users find current CAPTCHAs increasingly difficult and frustrating.

Participants have concerns about CAPTCHA security and reliability.

Usability issues impact overall user experience.

Abstract

CAPTCHAs are commonly used to distinguish between human and bot users on the web. However, despite having various types of CAPTCHAs, there are still concerns about their security and usability. To address these concerns, we surveyed over 250 participants from a university campus and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our goal was to gather user perceptions regarding the security and usability of current CAPTCHA implementations. After analyzing the data using statistical and thematic methods, we found that users struggle to navigate current CAPTCHA challenges due to increasing difficulty levels. As a result, they experience frustration, which negatively impacts their user experience. Additionally, participants expressed concerns about the reliability and security of these systems. Our findings can offer valuable insights for creating more secure and user-friendly CAPTCHA technologies.