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Anti-Spam Report

Evaluating Anti-Spam Solutions for Performance, Accuracy, and Compliance

This summary provides an overview of the findings from a comprehensive evaluation of various server-side anti-spam filters, focusing on their performance, accuracy in spam classification, and compliance with data protection regulations, particularly GDPR.

Performance Comparison

The evaluation included testing six prominent anti-spam filters: Akismet, CleanTalk, OOPSpam, ModerationAPI, ChatGPT, and ALTCHA Spam Filter. Key metrics such as accuracy of classification and latency were assessed across different regions to provide a holistic view of their capabilities.

Accuracy Comparison

Accuracy in classifying both legitimate samples and spam content varied significantly across the filters. ALTCHA Spam Filter emerged as the top performer, achieving a perfect 100% accuracy rate in identifying both legitimate and spam samples across multiple languages. In contrast, other solutions such as Akismet and CleanTalk exhibited notable limitations, particularly in detecting non-English spam and generating false positives.

Latency Comparison

Latency, a critical factor for real-time spam filtering, was also evaluated. ALTCHA demonstrated minimal latency across regions (EU and US), ensuring efficient operation without impacting website performance. In comparison, some filters like OOPSpam and ChatGPT showed latency fluctuations that could affect real-time usability, though they remain viable for asynchronous processing.

Data Protection Compliance

A significant focus of this evaluation was on the GDPR compliance of each platform’s privacy policies. Most filters, including Akismet, CleanTalk, OOPSpam, and ChatGPT, exhibited data practices that raise concerns under GDPR, such as data transfer to non-EU countries and potential indefinite storage of user data. ModerationAPI, despite its robust spam detection capabilities, also posed challenges with its data sharing practices.

In contrast, ALTCHA Spam Filter stood out for its strong commitment to GDPR compliance and user privacy. Operating under EU jurisdiction, ALTCHA ensures local data residency, minimal data retention, and does not share data with third parties, making it suitable for privacy-conscious users.

Conclusion

The evaluation underscores the importance of choosing a spam filter that not only delivers high accuracy and minimal latency but also complies with stringent data protection regulations. ALTCHA Spam Filter emerges as the preferred choice, offering exemplary performance in spam detection across multiple languages while maintaining robust GDPR compliance and ensuring user data privacy. For organizations prioritizing data protection and effective spam management, ALTCHA represents a reliable and compliant solution.

For detailed findings and methodology, download the full anti-spam report.

The source code and samples used in this evaluation are available on GitHub.


Latency Comparison

Anti-Spam FilterOriginLatency
AkismetEU~92ms
US~95ms
CleanTalkEU~165ms
US~285ms
OOPSpamEU~1443ms
US~1110ms
ModerationAPIEU~464ms
US~802ms
ChatGPTEU~828ms
US~490ms
ALTCHA Spam FilterEU~35ms
US~36ms

Accuracy Comparison

Akismet - 46%

Sample TypeAccuracy
Legitimate Samples20/21
Spam Samples3/29

CleanTalk - 42%

Sample TypeAccuracy
Legitimate Samples18/21
Spam Samples3/29

OOPSpam - 46%

Sample TypeAccuracy
Legitimate Samples18/21
Spam Samples5/29

ModerationAPI - 66%

Sample TypeAccuracy
Legitimate Samples6/21
Spam Samples27/29

ChatGPT - 96%

Sample TypeAccuracy
Legitimate Samples21/21
Spam Samples27/29

ALTCHA Spam Filter - 100%

Sample TypeAccuracy
Legitimate Samples21/21
Spam Samples29/29